Heritage from Home - Issue 5

Heritage from Home

Welcome to the fifth edition of Heritage from Home.

This week it is Get Creative Week: a national week of art that aims to celebrate creativity and encourage everyone to get creative at home, with the belief that creativity unites us during difficult circumstances.

With this in mind, we decided to think about the creative approaches people took to living during the war. 75 years later on from VE Day, can our creative spirit see us through these changing times?

So, this week, you can get creative with some bite size writing activities. Or, maybe your own Matisse-inspired artwork to brighten up a patch of your home.

We are still working on producing our radio drama. If you have All photos from the project with young people

memories or stories to share we’d love to hear them. We’d love to see your Matisse collages. Or, if you are on email and would like a pen-pal, just drop us a line louise@ bouncetheatre.com Thank you so much for reading.

Louise, Holly-Anne, Henry, and Sharon at Bounce

Things to read Heritage with Henry

In last week’s column, celebrating VE Day, one aspect I highlighted was what I’d read about creativity during WWII when it came to celebrating Christmas. I’d read how children’s toys were often made of recyclable materials, while cards were smaller and printed on more flimsy paper. But I’ve been intrigued as to what other ways we demonstrated creativity during the war, too. This week I’ve looked at some of the other ways we literally, and metaphorically, ‘made do and mended’.

I read that ‘Make Do and Mend’ was a motto promoted by the Ministry of Information during WWII - used on a pamphlet issued by the government to provide housewives with tips for saving clothing coupons whilst still being stylish. Nylon stockings had only been introduced in the late 1930s, but quickly became rare and expensive items as nylon production was diverted to the war effort for things like parachutes. So many women would instead paint their ‘stockings’ on - they would use boot polish to paint the ‘seam’ of the stockings onto the backs of their legs.

Some shops even offered a service, painting women’s legs different colours to look like stockings, with slogans like ‘no more ladders!’

People were also encouraged to take up sewing - rather than throwing old clothes away, people would instead sew and repair bits of clothing,

or recycle them. This wasn’t just limited to women either - boy scouts would learn to patch and mend their clothes too, so that nothing went to waste. People would make patches and even brand new clothes from anything - old blankets, suits of men who had gone off to war, even blackout curtains - one of the few unrationed fabrics.

Clothes weren’t the only area people got creative with though - crime became more creative too. The Air Raid Precautions (ARP) service had been set up by the government to protect civilians from the danger of air-raids. This meant they were often particularly trusted members of society. But I’ve read a lot about criminals trying to take advantage of this - many would sign up to the ARP to get the uniforms, in order to loot and steal more easily, under the cover of respectability conferred by the uniform. A standard plan for thieves was to dress up in an ARP helmet and armband, and smash shop windows - if members of the public spotted them, they’d often

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help them load their car with the goods, thinking they were being removed for safekeeping! Gangs also flourished this way - I read an article in the HistoryExtra magazine which told the story of a gang led by one Wally Thompson, where they dressed up as ARP members and tried to steal a safe from a warehouse in the middle of an air raid.

The black market seemed to thrive on creativity - many ration books of food and clothing coupons were stolen, and these could be used to make fake ones. I read recently about

how in 1943, 19 men were accused in Manchester of having been selling forged clothing coupons. People could also seek to make money in other ways - unscrupulous doctors profited from producing false medical exemptions for shirkers from the war, while some billeting officers, who would handle child evacuees, could take bribes in exchange for not lumping particular families with evacuees where they were unwanted. This made me think about

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an old favourite book of mine based on wartime evacuation - Goodnight Mister Tom. Tom Oakley wasn’t exactly thrilled to be lumped with William Beech - the story could have turned out very differently if the billeting officer at the beginning had been willing to take a bribe to send William to someone else!

But nor was this creativity the reserve of ordinary citizens and criminals. The government thought creatively when it came to the war, too. An ace burglar and robber, Eddie Chapman, was actually recruited by MI5 to act as a double agent - ‘Agent Zigzag’. Rather than just punishing him for his past activities, the government had found a way to use him - the Germans were so convinced by him and valued him so much that they awarded him the Iron Cross, and when Chapman eventually came home in 1944, he was pardoned for all his previous crimes.

From doctors to Air Raid Wardens, to housewives, to families who’d keep livestock to get around rations, Britain got creative during WWII some as part of the war effort, some for enjoyment, and some for selfserving reasons.

What are you doing to pass time in lockdown, or get around the difficulties of coronavirus? How are you keeping in contact with family and friends?

Or perhaps you have some family stories of what you or your family did to celebrate special occasions or make their own fun activities during WWII, which we could learn from today? Let us know!

Memory lane

Letters, memories and photos from our participants This week we are sharing an extract of an interview with a lady called Angela, whose family reflections made us appreciate the little moments of joy in memories.

So your dad was called away then?

Yes. He went in either 1942 or ’43.

Do you remember him going?

No, I just remember that he was in the army and then I remember him coming back on leave before he went to Africa…just for a weekend.

I remember us bathing his feet. And then all we had were letters. And every time we got a letter we used to dance the polka up and down the kitchen floor, and also, “Here comes the galloping Major!”, we’d skip up and down, Mum and I! Every time a letter came, we did that. And then I can remember the Christmas when all the forces were sent postcards with, “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,” on it, and snowflakes coming down.

Oh how lovely, so you really celebrated any letter?

Any letters that came, yes.

I know you were young, but did you ever fear he wouldn’t come back?

No, I didn’t have those feelings.

Mum never passed on feelings like that.

What was it like when he did come back?

I didn’t know him. I was six years old and I said to my mother, “who’s that man in the house? Do I have to do as he tells me?” [laughter] And she’d try to explain but I was very shy of him. He expected to be all over me, but he did bring me lots of party dresses back from South Africa. And we also had peaches in tins sent back from South Africa which was nice. In food parcels.

Really? Well that leads on nicely to my next question. Tell me, what are your memories of rationing?

Rationing? Yes, we had coupons. We could only have a couple of ounces of food, for cheese and margarine and if there was any meat in the butcher’s we’d rush down and see if we could get liver, to queue for that with rations. And our clothes were on coupons. If we bought material, that was all rationed. My mother used to cut down her dresses to make me party frocks.

Oh really?

She was good at sewing. Yes, it was hard, but they went without so that I didn’t. And we had an allotment, and we grew our potatoes, cabbages, salads, and carrots. Of course, when I went to Bude, there was a farm with chickens and eggs and rabbits – we had rabbit stew a lot.

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Memory lane broken biscuits sometimes. We used to stand on the tins in the grocers to get up to the counter and there was always a tin at the top with broken biscuits in.

Did you ever feel you went without anything?

No, I didn’t. When I was down in Bude, we met the American soldiers and they gave us chocolate and bananas, which was…I didn’t know what to do with it at first! We’d been having dried banana. Round things, you know, dried banana at home.

And a fresh banana – I didn’t like it, no.

And you could just take them, or did you have to pay?

Oh you had to pay for them! Yes! I remember there was a bacon slicer too. Get two rashers of bacon or something to last us.

But you had all your meals, and your mum made sure you had regular meals?

Oh yes. I tell you one thing I remember was we used to have carrot and potato and put the cheese in it to make little like, fishcakes.

Is there any meal your mum cooked that you absolutely didn’t like?

Spinach – she got it back in her face. That’s a story. I don’t remember it but I remember being told that I spat it back in her face.

But the chocolate?

Yes! Did you ever have sweets or anything?

No. What do you remember drinking?

Milk. I didn’t like tea.

Do you remember anything she was particularly fond of cooking - cakes?

When there was beef, we always used to have it in a casserole with jacket potatoes. I don’t remember much about cakes really. She did make coffee cake! And walnut cake but that was after the war because you couldn’t get it then. We had

That’s a great image [laughter] Yes, we had to eat things because there was no choice. You had to eat it or you… [laughter] Each week we will be sharing memories from our participants.

If you would like to be interviewed for the project please email louise@ bouncetheatre.com

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Things to write Creative writing with Sharon

Everyday Creativity This week we’re celebrating creativity and the small things we can do to release our inner artists! You don’t need much to be creative and it can be positive to build creative activities into your daily routine, for example every morning after breakfast or at any time that you like. Here are some short exercises to get you started. As always, we’d love to see what you’ve come up with, please send anything you’d like to share to louise@ bouncetheatre.com Kenning Poems A Kenning Poem uses lines of only two words long to describe something. Can you write a Kenning Poem to describe yourself and the things you like? It can be as long or as short as you like.

Here is one I’ve written about myself

Haikus A Haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry made up of 3 lines.

The first and last lines of a Haiku have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables. Can you try writing a Haiku of your own? Here are some we’ve written to inspire you:

Dawn Chorus Symphony of chirps Welcoming a brand new day Mother Nature’s choir

Clap for the NHS

Rainbows

Every Thursday night From our front doors and windows Showing gratitude

After angry skies Every colour merged in one Reflection and change

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10 Word Stories Can you make a story in only 10 words? Start with some well-known ones and then make up your own from scratch. Here are some examples to get you started!

Lockdown Staying safe at home eating lots drinking tea missing everyone Little red riding hood Girl Grandma stranger Wolf attacks screams Woodcutter saviour lesson learnt!

Goldilocks and The Three Bears Greedy girl steals Bears’ porridge naps discovery shock pegs it!

1-Line Drawings Draw a picture of anything you like. Put your pen to the paper and draw in one continuous line. The challenge is to use only that line to do your entire drawing! I’ve drawn a self-portrait and a fish, you can probably tell I’m not a visual artist but I still had fun making these:

Can you try drawing A train?

A horse?

A castle?

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Drawing from Memory Choose an object, person or picture you would like to draw. Give yourself one minute to familiarise yourself with it and take in all the detail of what you’re going to draw. Now close your eyes and put your pen to paper and draw for 2 minutes. You can take longer if you like. Have a look at what you’ve come up with!

You can also use this exercise to draw something from your memories, close your eyes and visualise the image and then have a go at drawing it.

Art with Everyday Objects Use some of the everyday objects or accessories in your home to create art with. For example, I’ve used a razor to create an elephant’s trunk and hair slides to make a picture of the sun, hills and a tree. You can also use bits of food, for example pasta shapes or rice to create the look of rain.

Here are some extra ideas to get you started: Use a paint or cookery brush can make a skirt, dress or moustache shape Scissors can make the shape of a face or body Rolls of masking or sellotape can create the shape of wheels

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Things to make Art with Holly-Anne

Matisse-inspired Cut-outs This week we are making paper cuts inspired by Matisse’s famous Cut-Outs. In his later years Matisse found joy in the simplicity and ease of paper-cutting. His method was to take blank sheets of paper and paint them with big squares of brightly coloured gouache paint. He then went wild with his scissors, freely

cutting shapes inspired by nature, the human body or still life objects.

Check out the examples I’ve made for you using the template shapes provided. Simply take a blank piece of paper and cut out and arrange the shapes in pleasing designs. When you are happy and want to commit, glue them down with a glue-stick.

Happy paper cutting!

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JUST FOR FUN Which film did these quotes come from?

After all, tomorrow is another day.

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.

Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t you think?

Can you solve these anagrams?

THE ZBLTIL OMBB IRA DRIA NSEIR DORL TLOOWON EIP NSWNIOT LHCHRLUHCI EMDN DAN KAME OD SAG KMSA

Who sang “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”?

Dingbats Dingbats

1.

DRPALOME

6.

2.

7.

ENTURY

Answers 1. Palindrome 2. Don’t talk back 3. Short circuit

don’t klat

Quack Quack Cluck Cluck

3.

8.

4.

CIRCUI

STANDING Miss 9.

Gra 12” ve

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CCRREEAAMM

5.

HAMLET

word word word

10.

Now in here

WORDS OF OUR WEEK Barnet (Barnet fair) - hair Barney (Barney Rubble) - trouble, now also means argument Bobble (Bobble hat and scarf) - laugh (“you’re having a bobble”, i.e. you cannot be serious) Brahms (Brahms and Liszt) - pissed Brass Tacks - facts (‘let’s get down to brass tacks’)

Answers: Scarlett O’Hara – Gone with the wind Rick Blaine – Casablanca Scarecrow – Wizard of Oz THE BLITZ BOMB AIR RAID SIREN LORD WOOLTON PIE WINSTON CHURCHILL MEND AND MAKE DO GAS MASK

Dingbats: 1. Palindrome 2. Don’t talk back 3. Short circuit 4. Misunderstanding 5. Play on words 6. Long time no see 7. Foul language 8. One foot in the grave 9. Double cream 10. In the middle of nowhere

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