Mondays with Milly

When ration books were introduced during World War 2, families had to adjust quickly to smaller portions and less choice. Air raid shelters called "Anderson Shelters" were installed in back gardens and would become an important part of homeland defence. Things were getting serious.

In this episode, Milly gives us some idea of what was to be the "new normal" for a country at war. 

On Sunday 3rd September at 11am, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's radio announcement shook the nation.

Eight year-old Milly was more concerned with not being able to go on a planned holiday with her neighbours and didn't fully comprehend the gravity of what was to come. Milly's father was away from home for months and the country was suddenly faced with strict rules to follow. World War 2 brought with it a new list of challenges.

Please enjoy episode #3 of Mondays with Milly.

What happened to people who got sick before there was a national health system?

What was it like to go to school in the 1930s?

What were peoples' attitudes to vaccinations against disease?

These questions and more will be answered in episode two of Mondays with Milly. 

Welcome to Mondays with Milly.

In episode one we're introduced to Milly's family and get an idea of what it was like to grow up in the shadows of the Great Depression. Finding work was a challenge and families supported themselves any way they could. Milly meets the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, and her dad mixes cement for Winston Churchill, whose hobby just happens to be brick-laying. 

Please enjoy this episode of Mondays with Milly. 

Mondays with Milly is a podcast about the past as told by someone who was there.

Through a series of interviews, "Milly" (AKA Doreen from Manchester) - talks about her life from the Great Depression era and World War 2 to the present day. Now in her ninetieth year, Milly is a natural story-teller with a razor-sharp memory. Her recount of a life spanning some of history's defining moments provides a unique insight into how people lived, coped, survived and endured times of great adversity.

Recorded during the Covid 19 era, these online interviews have relevance during uncertain times and, perhaps, provide us with a sense of perspective in dealing with our own challenges.

New episodes in the series will be released on Mondays.

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