Videos tagged with ww2

Growing up in Rothrhithe during WW2 (Part 1)

Growing up in Rothrhithe during WW2 (Part 1)

Vai Newman was born and has lived within the Rotherhithe area all of her life and experienced life there during the Second World War. Vai recounts some of the strict rules and regulations people adhered to during the war, life during the blitz and her schooldays. Vai also gives a vivid account of how different Rotherhithe was back then, with its dangerous riversides and mainly industrial wharfs that surrounded the area.

Rationing and and Children's Routines during WW2

Rationing and and Children's Routines during WW2

In the second part of his interview Alex talks about rationing during the Second World War and how families struggled on a daily basis to feed themselves with the tiny quantities they were allowed. He talks of how his mother had to scrub floors to make ends meet whilst his father was away in the army, and of the short while he spent away when he was evacuated as a boy of 4. Alex also remembers a couple of cheeky adventures him and his friends used to embark on to get around their sweet cravings!

Wartime spirit and children's games and activities

Wartime spirit and children's games and activities

Alex was born and raised in Hackney, East London. He was about seven years old when the second world war broke out. In the first part of his interview he recalls the games he and his friends from the neighborhood used to play to pass the time, and the typical activities and behaviour of war-time children in the 1940s and 50s. Alex also talks about the sense of community that was so prevalent during such hard times, everyone helped one another wherever possible and this was something that was passed down to even very young children. He remembers doing everything he could to help out his less fortunate neighbours and the elderly...

Childhood memories of post-war life in the North East of England

Childhood memories of post-war life in the North East of England

Sylvia Curry was born and grew up in the North East of England. In the 1950s, after the 2nd World War, Sylvia was a small child and in this interview she recounts some of her happy childhood memories. Sylvia came from a very creative family and they were always making things. Children back then were allowed to play freely as there was a real sense of freedom. Sylvia remembers some of the childhood games her and her friends used to play, dressing up for the coronation in 1953 and making hand-made Easter eggs. Sylvia also talks about how post-war rationing affected people's lives and how the role of women has changed drastically since then.

Serving in the Navy during the Second World War

Serving in the Navy during the Second World War

Sunny Talks about some of his experiences in the Navy during the Second World War where he served aboard the HMS Sutton and how war lead to a breakdown that got him sent to a Psychiatric Hospital