West End Memories – 2

Price Tags did a series on Gary Pennington’s “West End Memories Project” back in June, 2013.

The project continues:

.

WEST END MEMORIES:  Growing Up in Vancouver’s West End

.

Ration books with stamps were used by the authorities to control consumption of tea, meat, butter and sugar.  Motorists needed ration books to purchase gasoline.  During the London Blitz, which received wide publicity, Mom would not complain about the four ounces of tea per week allowed.  She was more concerned about the plight of British civilians being bombed nightly.

When buying a tube of toothpaste, it was necessary to return the empty before the  purchase could be transacted; tubes were made of lead and lead meant bullets.   Women’s nylon stockings had come into vogue only recently and were scarce.  When word got out that a certain store had them for sale, it was not uncommon to see half-block lineups on Granville Street.   – Farnsworth.

.

I remember the burly ice man, with a thick leather protector on his back, hauling heavy blocks of ice up the stairs of Grandma’s rooming house on Thurlow Street where we lived.  Some roomers had ice boxes to help preserve food.   We had a small outdoor compartment, punched through the outside wall, with a screen to keep  out flies.  In the summer it was virtually useless in avoiding rancid butter.  – Farnsworth.

.

Downtown and Hotel Vancouver from Strathmore Lodge, Bute Street

.

There was a man who pushed a cart down our lane selling things.  His cart had a row of bells along the top of the handle that he would ring to let everyone know he was coming.  Housewives would come out of the houses to buy whatever he was selling.  I also remember us children running out to the sound of the bells, but from the ice cream truck.  We were so excited and afraid that we’d miss it because we first had to run home to our parents and beg, sometimes unsuccessfully, for some money.  – Gillis.