In the news1919–1939
Council Housing Construction Began in 1919
Following the 1919 Housing Act, local authorities began building council houses to replace slums, with over 1 million built by 1939.
Edinburgh, 18 Oct 1930 – Inverey, 3 Sep 2024
10 facts2 sources
18 Oct 1930
Born in Edinburgh
1979–2014
Member of the House of Lords
3 Sep 2024
Dies in Inverey, aged 93
She lived through 10 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Edinburgh.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1919–1939
Following the 1919 Housing Act, local authorities began building council houses to replace slums, with over 1 million built by 1939.
Getting around
Walking was the primary mode of commuting
In the 1930s, walking was the most common way for people to commute to work, remaining the primary method for one-third of the population.
What it cost
Cost of bread and bacon in 1938
In 1938, bread typically cost about 8.5 pence for a 4-pound loaf, while bacon cost roughly 1 shilling 3.5 pence per pound.
Around the world · 1939–1945The Second World War. The deadliest war in history, from 1939 to 1945: some 70 million people died. Brazil sent 25,000 soldiers to fight in Italy.
What people wore
Wartime siren suits for air raids
The siren suit was an all-enveloping, zip-up boiler suit that people wore over pajamas for quick dashes to air raid shelters during the war.
Music
Community singing at FA Cup matches
At FA Cup football matches, thousands of fans participated in formal community singing of popular songs and the hymn Abide with me, beginning in 1927. The stadium atmosphere during the hymn was described as having a moving intensity comparable to the silence at the Cenotaph on Armistice Day.
Daily life
Limited Home Amenities and Rationing
Many homes lacked bathrooms and indoor toilets; families often used a portable tin bath in the kitchen and an outside toilet. To save fuel, authorities advised limiting bath water to a depth of five inches, a rule famously adopted even at Buckingham Palace.