My parents ran a small grocery and provisions shop in North London and we knew our customers and their families quite well. It became quite difficult when soon after war began, rationing was introduced! The butter ration was 3ozs per week per book and for a customer with two books 2ozs had to be cut off from an 8oz packet. The customer would place her hand over mine, asking me not to cut. Of course we had to refuse because we were only allowed from the suppliers the amount for the number of books registered. We were responsible to the Town Hall for our registered number of customers.
Tinned goods were exchanged for points and each month we had to count the number of points (pink coupons) we'd exchanged and take them to the Town Hall to enable us to be supplied with the equivalent quantity again.
For several years the rations included 1 egg per book per week and customers formed a queue on Tuesday lunchtime at our door because the eggs arrived then!
We had to declare all the goods in the shop and two barrels of oil were requisitioned and removed.
Even after a night of heavy bombing the shop was opened early in the morning and the baker who supplied us arrived with fresh bread.
When lease lend was arranged with the States of America we were sometimes supplied with boxes of egg powder, which we could serve to the customers (for points) and this was a boon to the housewife.
Naturally there was a shortage of many types of food and goods but it was a great pleasure to be able occasionally to serve a little luxury when we received some.
Although my parents owned their shop, during the time of rationing, they were actually servants of the Town Hall!
