The second site on the tour is Camden Town Hall, originally known as St Pancras Town Hall, until its name changed in 1965 due to the amalgamation of the London Boroughs of Holborn, Hampstead and St Pancras.[1] Designed by architect A.J. Thomas, the neo-classical steel framed, Portland stone building is situated on the corner of Judd Street and Euston Road in the Borough of Camden, located in the north-west end of the city.[2] Construction of the building, which included Georgian terraced housing units began in 1934 and was completed in 1937.[3] The purpose of the building was to house the St Pancras Borough Council, however, the buildings basement also became an air raid shelter during the Blitz.[4]

In the 1970's, the town hall underwent a structural extension and as of August 2018 a refurbishment project to modernize the eighty-year-old building began.[5] The goal is to improve the buildings sustainability, environmental performance and reduce long-term maintenance costs, while preserving the history.[6] Thus, historic features, such as the grand chamber council and marble staircase will be revived and preserved. The refurbishment will allow for office spaces to be rented, in order to attract small businesses and entrepreneurs.[7] Camden Town Hall's operations and services have been temporarily relocated and no public access is permitted until the refurbishment has been completed, which is projected for autumn 2021.[8]

Camden Town Hall is a significant historical site as it was a Local Emergency Food Office, which distributed and replaced ration books during the Second World War.[9] Due to the war, shortages of food led to rationing in January 1940. This was to ensure all British citizens had equal access to everyday food items, such as sugar, butter, meat, cheese and bacon. Men, women and children were each given a ration book with coupons, for purchasing food.[10] Although never rationed, people were encouraged to grow their own fruits and vegetables, which children participated in at school and home. During the war, the health and welfare of children was top priority and thus, babies, children and expectant mothers were allotted provisions such as milk, as well as orange juice and cod liver oil, as a supplement to vitamins.[11]

[1] Sam Volpe, "Bomb shelter, wedding venue, civic hub: A last look around Camden Town Hall," Hampstead Highgate Express, June 13, 2018, accessed March 16, 2019, https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/heritage/behind-the-scenes-at-camden-town-hall-ahead-of-its-multi-million-pound-refurbishment-1-5560036 and Wikipedia, "Camden Town Hall," August 18, 2017, accessed March 16, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camden_Town_Hall

[2] Wikipedia, "Camden Town Hall."

[3] Ibid.

[4] Sam Volpe, "Bomb shelter, wedding venue, civic hub."

[5] Wikipedia, "Camden Town Hall," and The London Borough of Camden Council, "Camden Town Hall is Moving," June 20, 2018, accessed March 16, 2019, http://news.camden.gov.uk/camden-town-hall-is-moving/

[6] The London Borough of Camden Council, "Camden Town Hall is Moving."

[7] Sam Volpe, "Bomb shelter, wedding venue, civic hub."

[8] The London Borough of Camden Council, "Camden Town Hall is Moving."

[9] Heather Creaton, Sources for the History of London 1939- 45: A Guide and Bibliography (London: British Records Association, 1998), 85.

[10] IWM Staff, "What You Need to Know About Rationing in the Second World War," Imperial War Museum, January 8, 2018, accessed March 16, 2019, https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-rationing-in-the-second-world-war

[11] IWM Staff, "Growing Up in the Second World War," Imperial War Museum, February 1, 2018, accessed March 16, 2019, https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/growing-up-in-the-second-world-war

Food rationing had a significant impact on families living in London during the Blitz. Although food shortages occurred across Britain, London had to scatter their food supplies throughout the city in order "to limit the quantity of food that could be destroyed" from a German air raid.[1] Ultimately, shopping became a very complicated task during the war, as families had to register their ration books with specific grocers, as well as visit multiple shops, including the butcher, baker and greengrocer for each food item. While shopping was an onerous task for housewives, long queuing lines and travelling from shop to shop meant working women had even less time to spend with their children. Some youth even took on the task of shopping for their parents. For example, Florence Speed quit her job in order to take over the meal planning and preparation for her brother and sisters.[2] While the need for rationing was understood by Londoners, the hardships associated with it led to acquiring goods off the black market, as well as negative feelings towards wartime policies.[3]

Yet, food rationing on the British home front has largely been "characterized by universal sacrifice, egalitarianism and common purpose," with an image of "British people who were 'used to receiving orders and to strict regulation.'"[4] This notion of collective sacrifice in order to win the war against the Germans was a myth that developed out of wartime propaganda, produced by the Ministry of Food and did not accurately reflect public attitudes towards rationing or austerity during or after the war.[5] Joan Styan, who was a child in London during the Second World War recalled "constantly being told to dig for victory," along with her mother denying herself food in order to nourish Joan and her siblings.[6] Not only does Joan recall the hardships and government policies that arose due to food shortages and rationing, but also notes that "[t]he rich were hit the same as the poor."[7] However, upper-class families felt the effects of food rationing slightly more than urban working-class families, who actually gained grains, potatoes, dairy products and vegetables into their diet, which had previously consisted mainly of fats, eggs and sugar before the war.[8] While food rationing offered "fair shares" for all British citizens, it impacted London families differently based on class. Ultimately, food rationing led to resentment of authority figures and wartime policies, causing debates regarding food amount entitlement.[9]

[1] "Emergency Food Plans," Times (London, England), August 16, 1941, accessed March 15, 2019, http://tinyurl.galegroup.com/tinyurl/9DBGRX

[2] Amy Helen Bell, London Was Ours: Diaries and Memories of the London Blitz (London and New York: I.B. Tauris, 2008), 72.

[3] Ibid., 71.

[4] Ina, Zweiniger-Bargielowska, Austerity in Britain: Rationing, Controls, and Consumption 1939-1955, (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 61, accessed March 15, 2019, https://books.scholarsportal.info/en/read?id=/ebooks/ebooks0/oxford/2009-11-30/4/0198204531#page=1

[5] Amy Helen Bell, London Was Ours, 70.

[6] Joan Styan, "Wartime Hardships: Rationing in London." British Broadcasting Corporation, June 17, 2004, accessed March 16, 2019, https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/98/a2756298.shtml

[7] Ibid.

[8] Amy Helen Bell, London Was Ours, 70.

[9] Ibid., 75.

Primary Source:

"Emergency Food Plans." Times (London, England), August 16, 1941. Accessed March 15, 2019. http://tinyurl.galegroup.com/tinyurl/9DBGRX

Secondary Sources:

Bell, Amy Helen. London Was Ours: Diaries and Memories of the London Blitz. London and New York: I.B. Tauris, 2008.

Creaton, Heather. Sources for the History of London 1939- 45: A Guide and Bibliography. London: British Records Association, 1998.

IWM Staff. "Growing Up in the Second World War." Imperial War Museum. February 1, 2018. Accessed March 16, 2019. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/growing-up-in-the-second-world-war

IWM Staff. "What You Need to Know About Rationing in the Second World War." Imperial War Museum. January 8, 2018. Accessed March 16, 2019. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-rationing-in-the-second-world-war

Styan, Joan. "Wartime Hardships: Rationing in London." British Broadcasting Corporation. June 17, 2004. Accessed March 16, 2019. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/98/a2756298.shtml

The London Borough of Camden Council. "Camden Town Hall is Moving." June 20, 2018. Accessed March 16, 2019. http://news.camden.gov.uk/camden-town-hall-is-moving/

Volpe, Sam. "Bomb shelter, wedding venue, civic hub: A last look around Camden Town Hall." Hampstead Highgate Express. June 13, 2018. Accessed March 16, 2019. https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/heritage/behind-the-scenes-at-camden-town-hall-ahead-of-its-multi-million-pound-refurbishment-1-5560036

Wikipedia. "Camden Town Hall." August 18, 2017. Accessed March 16, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camden_Town_Hall

Zweiniger-Bargielowska, Ina. Austerity in Britain: Rationing, Controls, and Consumption 1939-1955. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Accessed March 15, 2019. https://books.scholarsportal.info/en/read?id=/ebooks/ebooks0/oxford/2009-11-30/4/0198204531#page=1