Sorry folks you were not there, or most were not. Spam was as you say not rationed and became the basic meal for the many. Meat rationed two ounces per person did not go far if you lived in the City or large town those without animals as we had in the village did not do well, scrag end of mutton was often free from ration and slow cooked in water and vegetables provided stock for soups as well as the meat which with a tin of Spam diced and added at the last minute would provide a good meal for four or more with plenty of Veg from the garden. We could also get smaller amounts of Corn Beef and for those of us living near the sea plenty of unrationed fish. House Wives were wonderful at using what they had so Spam came in many variations once it was out of the tin. Spam fritters were a firm favourite, Spam and potato pie, a cut in half Stottie (oven bottom bread) with tomato cheese and spam spread on then under the grill until the cheese melted was a satisfying meal. We did not look to see what the can said it was food, it was American, and tasted good, after the war ended and rationing got even tighter because we suddenly lost all American aid it became a mainstay well into the 1950's. It was when the Dieticians came on the scene telling us Potato's Bread and Milk were bad for us that Spam began to be laughed at, those experts who knew what was good for the peasants and they started all the diet fads to make money from books based on no facts whatsoever. What has changed I ask. It appears to be the in thing to laugh at anything home front in the war the Home Guard for instance, in our area they manned the Anti Aircraft guns and rockets then did the day job, several were killed or injured. Spam served a purpose many would have gone hungry without it. One thing that amazed me was during a potato shortage there was plenty of rice, we got it boiled to a grey gooy mess for our school meals, I refused to eat it and besides getting caned was told I was losing the war all on my own by getting Sailors killed getting it here and i had the temerity to refuse it. I have never eaten boiled rice since. Be amused but to us it was once a life saver. Frank
My dad used to love SPAM, and he told me about it's popularity during the war. I first came across it at school, where they served it in what was described as batter (although l have never seen batter like that before or since). I took one mouthful and that was enough, l have never eaten it again. Today l am feeling curmudgeonly due to the release of the New Year's Honours list - last time l looked it was only 29th December.
The Honour’s List - that really does make me curmudgeonly. Alongside all those marvellous people doing wonders in their community, yet only awarded the lowly BEM, the police, ambulance, fire service and hospital staff who do wondrous and brave things at times of crisis, the teachers who turn around the lives of children ... and then the whole thing is tainted by painted mimes and other assorted luvvies who are already stupidly well paid yet get honours as well. Of course, they’re getting decorated for services to charity as well as acting. Yeah, right.
i also wonder if there are a couple of civil servants whose job it is to sift through the names of sportsmen and women over the past 50 years who somehow got overlooked. “Bill Beaumont, come on down”
I think it's a class thing too. Although slebratism seems able to breach the class barrier. With regard to sporting types, particularly the Olympic sportpseople, how much more deserving of an honour would they be if they had put their considerable focus and energy into doing something more useful than running a few seconds faster than someone else or jumping a few centimetres higher?
I agree about the Honours. If sports people are going to get awards it should be after they retire, and should be for activities other than doing the day job. Although Alastair Cook has broken umpteen records in cricket, it was simply a case of doing his day job albeit doing the day job very well.
For me it all started going downhill when the entire England cricket team received Honours for beating Australia in Oz for the first time in about a million years. They didn't have to hand them back when whitewashed next time around!
Harry Kane and Gareth Southgate receive Honours for doing less badly than previous England football teams. They didn't actually win anything.
As I suppose you can tell, I'm not interested in sport. It seems to me that sporting medals and trophies are rewards for self-indulgence. The enjoyment of the sport as a form of relaxation and the concomitant health benefits should be reward enough.
For me it all went to pot when Kelly Holmes was made a Dame , seemingly after one Olympics games. Back in the day, I think Munich 72, Mary Peters seemed to do equally well, and , I think , got an OBE. Surely being made a Dame, or Knight should be the culmination of a lifetime of "work"? not just doing it well for a couple of weeks one summer? Don't even start me on Alan, ( call me Lord ) Sugar!!!!!
There was a lollipop lady on the news who had received an award. She's been doing that job for 50 years, and her first name is Beryl. Just for a moment, my curmudgeonliness dimmed..... then returned when l saw the other names on the list !
There was a lollipop lady on the news who had received an award. She's been doing that job for 50 years, and her first name is Beryl. Just for a moment, my curmudgeonliness dimmed..... then returned when l saw the other names on the list !
Ann Gloag ( hate filled homophobe ) has been made a Dame too.
It should be the new year dishonours list. Politicians who have had their trotters in the trough. Business men who have made it on the backs of their workers. Councillors who have wasted our hard earned money on foibles or self promotion. So called Celebs who have managed to live a few days in a fabricated jungle, others who's ear splitting jangly so called music deafens us and people who think the whole world should be impressed by their feeble efforts to entertain using language that was never intended for mass audiences. Add to that Generals with a chest full of medal ribbons where the fighting men get or in some cases do not get a couple of campaign medals. Scrap the lot and add the PC lot who try to impose their will on people who do not wish to live like them and get attacked for their unwillingness to comply. My Hero's are everyday people who spend a lifetime being over worked and under paid helping the rest of us to lead normal lives which is far different from the weird lot who get so called honours. I feel better now it is off my chest. Frank.
Posts
Spam was as you say not rationed and became the basic meal for the many. Meat rationed two ounces per person did not go far if you lived in the City or large town those without animals as we had in the village did not do well, scrag end of mutton was often free from ration and slow cooked in water and vegetables provided stock for soups as well as the meat which with a tin of Spam diced and added at the last minute would provide a good meal for four or more with plenty of Veg from the garden. We could also get smaller amounts of Corn Beef and for those of us living near the sea plenty of unrationed fish. House Wives were wonderful at using what they had so Spam came in many variations once it was out of the tin.
Spam fritters were a firm favourite, Spam and potato pie, a cut in half Stottie (oven bottom bread) with tomato cheese and spam spread on then under the grill until the cheese melted was a satisfying meal.
We did not look to see what the can said it was food, it was American, and tasted good, after the war ended and rationing got even tighter because we suddenly lost all American aid it became a mainstay well into the 1950's.
It was when the Dieticians came on the scene telling us Potato's Bread and Milk were bad for us that Spam began to be laughed at, those experts who knew what was good for the peasants and they started all the diet fads to make money from books based on no facts whatsoever. What has changed I ask.
It appears to be the in thing to laugh at anything home front in the war the Home Guard for instance, in our area they manned the Anti Aircraft guns and rockets then did the day job, several were killed or injured.
Spam served a purpose many would have gone hungry without it. One thing that amazed me was during a potato shortage there was plenty of rice, we got it boiled to a grey gooy mess for our school meals, I refused to eat it and besides getting caned was told I was losing the war all on my own by getting Sailors killed getting it here and i had the temerity to refuse it. I have never eaten boiled rice since.
Be amused but to us it was once a life saver.
Frank
Today l am feeling curmudgeonly due to the release of the New Year's Honours list - last time l looked it was only 29th December.
i also wonder if there are a couple of civil servants whose job it is to sift through the names of sportsmen and women over the past 50 years who somehow got overlooked. “Bill Beaumont, come on down”
With regard to sporting types, particularly the Olympic sportpseople, how much more deserving of an honour would they be if they had put their considerable focus and energy into doing something more useful than running a few seconds faster than someone else or jumping a few centimetres higher?
Back in the day, I think Munich 72, Mary Peters seemed to do equally well, and , I think , got an OBE. Surely being made a Dame, or Knight should be the culmination of a lifetime of "work"? not just doing it well for a couple of weeks one summer?
Don't even start me on Alan, ( call me Lord ) Sugar!!!!!
Add to that Generals with a chest full of medal ribbons where the fighting men get or in some cases do not get a couple of campaign medals.
Scrap the lot and add the PC lot who try to impose their will on people who do not wish to live like them and get attacked for their unwillingness to comply.
My Hero's are everyday people who spend a lifetime being over worked and under paid helping the rest of us to lead normal lives which is far different from the weird lot who get so called honours.
I feel better now it is off my chest.
Frank.