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.
Born Islington, 1939
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1939
Born in Islington
5 Aug 1980
A daughter is born
He has lived through 10 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Islington.
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
Starting wage for a fourteen-year-old worker
A common starting wage for a fourteen-year-old starting work was 10 shillings a week for a 45-hour work week.
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
Civic celebrations and improvised instruments
To celebrate victories, civic bands often led parades through city centers, although this tradition was more common in northern industrial regions than in others. Fans traveling to major events also used improvised instruments like mouth organs, tin whistles, and rattles to provide music.
Daily life
Schooling and Classroom Life
Schools often lacked lunches, so children in winter brought a potato marked with their initials to be baked in the school coal-oven. Pupils were taught using rote learning, and in smaller schools, might start by writing in trays of sand before using chalkboards or expensive pencils.