Helen Megoran, of Huddersfield, also remembers the sugar shortage.
“We lived in Walthamstow, East London, in the 1970s,’’ she said. “You could have one bag of sugar per grocery order.
“Goods used to be piled on pallets (and in those toddler enticing pyramids of tins) and I remember watching two harridans diving on to the last packet of sugar on the pallet, each trying to clutch it to her Les Dawson bosom and the bag splitting and sending its contents all over the floor.”
The sugar shortage, she says, inspired someone to start a rumour about the reforms in the Soviet Union. It said a salt shortage was looming because the Russians were no longer sending people to the salt mines.
“I remember chuckling over prissy articles about our wonderful Cheshire salt mines with hundreds of years of salt left in them.”
And, yes, there really are salt mines in Cheshire. Northwich even has a salt museum.
“There was also a bread shortage and a jolly old neighbour used to take bread orders so mothers with small children didn’t have to queue. He said how much he enjoyed the Blitz spirit and chattiness in the queues.”
Today Europe is reeling from recession. Would the country be as resilient again with a three day week?