Preparations For War
I always remember a tale told by my mother about her mother, who was born in Dalston in the 1880s.
In 1939, my mother asked her mother, if she was ready for the inevitable war.
The reply was as follows.
I was caught out in the First War and I’m not going to get caught out in this one!
I’ve got a hundredweight of jam and a hundredweight of sugar in the cellar!
Do readers still know what a hundredweight is? – Fifty kilos.
From what I know, my grandmother was rather a forceful woman of very strong Devonian ancestry, with the Yeoman surname of Upcott.
In this war against COVID-19, I may have made a few preparations, but nothing like those my formidable grandmother would have made.
The Anonymous Widower 
We have made some preparations, but nothing like all that jam and sugar! Not enough bread to put it on, apart from anything else.
Comment by nosnikrapzil | March 17, 2020 |
I am reminded by the comment (in front of an audience on a live album) by humorous sing writer/performer Tom Lehrer commenting that America was late for the last two world wars so would be early for the next one.
Comment by MilesT | March 18, 2020 |
It looks like Good Old Tom has been given a late pass by the Devil According to Wikipedia he’s 92 in early April!
Comment by AnonW | March 18, 2020 |
A Hundredweight ( CWT) is 112 lbs and was how we used to order coal from suppliers at
Lebons Corner , Hackney
Comment by Melvyn | March 18, 2020 |