Breakfast and lunch were the usual.  Although I’m using quick oats for breakfast, I’m still finding that soaking them overnight – as in the ‘olden’ days – really helps make the porridge much thicker and creamier.

Dinner was ‘only’ two courses this evening; fish pie, with pear and sultana crumble to follow. (My husband, who hates fish, had the leftover casserole.) I’m loving these wee pudding ramekins. I made a full measure of crumble (stored the rest in fridge for the next few evenings) and shared one pear between us. Having something sweet at the end of the meal is such a treat and I’m finally starting to lose my craving for chocolate.  Long may it continue.

Getting back to Anne’s memories of wartime cinemas… When war was first declared, all public places – theatres, cinemas etc – were closed for fear of mass casualties in bombing raids. But the ban didn’t last long and they were quickly re-opened. So I wondered if they continued to have Saturday morning films for the children and, if so, what kinds of treats were available to eat?

Yes, there were Saturday morning films at the Grosvenor but I only went a couple of times I think – not particularly to my taste. There were a few cartoons, not very good though I loved Donald Duck, and Goofy too but saw nothing funny in Mickey himself. There was often a cowboy film (Cowboys and Indians was the main game of boys still) and some slapstick of the Laurel and Hardy type – Charlie Chaplin was disappearing from screens, again not my type – even as a child I couldn’t bear the humiliation he, or Laurel and Hardy were suffering before my eyes, even if they finally came out on top.

As for treats… Not a lot if you hadn’t any sweetie coupons. Fruit and other foods were not forbidden but they were discouraged. I was OK – I went on to the Black Market and sold my sweet coupons so I could buy a cold scotch pie* or sausage roll munch through – disgusting, I was.

*’Scotch’ pies were originally called ‘mutton’ pies; minced mutton was the filling – though what they put in any wartime ones (few and far between) goodness only knows. It was only when lamb and not mutton was offered by butchers and lamb became much more expensive that ‘Scotch’ pies were filled with minced beef.  You’ll never know what a real Scotch pie tasted like!