It was during the dark war years that rationing was introduced into Britain. Before the war 70% of all British food was imported and the German U-boat blockade was threatening to stop our merchant shipping, thus threatening the home front with starvation. In October 1939 the hugely successful Dig for Victory campaign was launched by the British government, calling for every man and woman in Britain to keep an allotment. Lawns and flower beds were turned into vegetable plots and this even included golf courses, parks and the moat around the Tower of London!
It wasn’t until 1954 that rationing stopped, but most still continued to grow their own vegetables in their back gardens. Like most families, my father would grow all his own vegetables - enough to keep our family of five supplied right through the year.