The effect of WW2 on living standards and leisure (T2) Flashcards
What happened to the average wage during WW2?
It doubled
What were the effects of the blitz?
- 3.5 million homes bombed
- 60 million changes of address
How did housing change due to WW2?
- 1944 Housing and Temporary Accommodation Act
- After WW2 prefabricated homes were built
- 1946 New Towns Act
What were the regional variations in health and diet after WW2 like?
Infant mortality: 5.17 per 1000 in Wales, 0.86 in Kensington
Still no national healthcare - hospital care a ‘postcode lottery’
What surprised families who looked after children during WW2?
The children’s diets - They would rather eat fish and chips or biscuits for dinner than vegetables
What was the overall impact of rationing in WW2?
Gov. price controls meant food became more affordable, working class had a healthier diet
Who ran the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign in WW2?
The Ministry of Food
What did the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign encourage people to do?
To grow their own vegetables
How many Britons were killed in WW2?
450,000
In 1944 what did Beveridge calculate about unemployment?
85% of all long-term unemployment was in South Wales, Scotland and North of England - the war highlighted the regional differences
What did clothing rationing during WW2 do to help the class divide?
Levelled fashion across all classes - life became more drap during this time
In 1946, what % of consumer expenditure was controlled by rationing?
25%
In 1948, what % of consumer expenditure was controlled by rationing?
30%
How did National and regional radio change during WW2?
National and Regional programmes were replaced with the Home Service
Why were National and Regional radio programmes were replaced with the Home Service during WW2?
To prevent enemy aircraft using regional radio as navigation
How did the gov. try to boost morale for factory workers through the radio?
Programmes like Workers’ Playtime aimed to boost the morale
What were the radio shows during WW2 like?
News and speech based entertainment
What were cinemas like in the 40s?
‘Americanization’ of cinemas:
- youths dressed like gangsters + girls like actresses
- Using slang like ‘sez you’
What was the 1950 ‘Eady Levy’ charge in cinemas?
A charge on tickets that was used to subsidise British film-making
What was the cinema boom in WW2 like?
Popular war films were introduced
- 1942 film: In Which We Serve
- 1943 film: The Gentle Sex
What was the 1942 film In Which We Serve about?
About the navy
What was the 1943 film The Gentle Sex about?
Exploring the wartime problems for women
How did travel change during WW2?
The government tried to prevent travel to free up the roads
Railway companies banned from running extra trains during peak holiday hours
What sorts of holidays were popular during the war?
Seaside holidays
Give some examples of the popular seaside holidays during WW2
- Wakes Week
- Trip Week
What sort of holidays did the gov. try to promote during WW2?
They tried to promote the ‘Holiday at Home’ - it was mainly accepted that holidays were largely good for morale
How did the war create more holiday camps?
Prisoner of war camps + military barracks built during the war
These were later transformed into holiday camps - this provided the popularity of the holiday camp culture before the 60s
