Remembering a precious tin of red salmon

‘One of my earliest memories goes back to when I was eight years old and the war had just ended. Food was rationed and luxuries were in short supply. My father was very ill with TB and spent most of his time being nursed in a sanitorium. This meant my mum had to go out to work to support our family, which at the time was unusual. I was the only child in my class at school with a working mum. This meant I had to grow up very quickly and help in the house.

One of my ‘jobs’ was to wait in food queues to buy our rations. This could take a long time and I had no choice but to wait as long as it took. News of any luxury foods suddenly available was passed on between neighbours, usually over the fence as none of us had telephones.

My mum was very excited to hear that a shop in North Street, Guildford had supplies of tinned red salmon and I was sent to buy one.

I caught a bus, on my own from Bellfields to Guildford then queued for what felt like hours. My mission was successful and we made that tin of red salmon last for days! I can still remember my mum’s happy face when I brought it home.’