Social history

[annwfyn]

Gah! I'm feeling frustrated today.

I want to write random tat prose, set in 1943, but there's just so much I don't know!

I don't know what kind of social class a train driver and his family would be. I think respectable working class, but I'm not sure. I don't know what kind of areas of London they would have lived in, I don't know what the standard of living was for the respectable working classes in the 1940s, or the limitations placed on teenage girls in that time frame.

I sort of know bits, but not enough, and I don't know where to start looking.

Bah! And humbug!

Comments

[hortorum.livejournal.com]

Well, FWIW, my family were railwaymen through both world wars and I think you'd have to describe them as solidly working class. Respected and Respectable, but this was the age of steam so it was a mucky and smokey profession.

Take a look at the 'Peoples war' section of the BBC, there's a lot of first hand stuff there about life at the time. Also, they've been reshowing a lot of Public Information Films on the TV recently.

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

Oh cool! Thank you very much. That's really helpful.

[hortorum.livejournal.com]

My pleasure. 1940's history is one of my hobbies :)

[red-phil.livejournal.com]

You could write in a 'parallel universe' society.
That allows you to have the style you want and make changes to how things were where they suit your mood and story better.

[astro-dust.livejournal.com]

It can be kinda apocryphal, but the TV series 'Supersizers go...' with their Wartime episode gives a vague look into the food that some of the people ate whilst staying home in WWII...

And it's an amazing series to watch!

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

I have not heard of this show! I shall poke.

[sea-of-flame.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness, watch, watch!!

[lilitufire.livejournal.com]

40's reenactment is huge. Try Goodwood Revival for starters, and Kentwell Hall have some 40's events.

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

Oh thank you. Shall go poke.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

This event is the week after next: http://www.theblitzparty.com/

[lapinenoireuk.livejournal.com]

Imperial War Museum http://london.iwm.org.uk/
http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.207

London Transport Museum http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/
http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/68.aspx

For general cultural backstory
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/Collections/
http://www.museumindocklands.org.uk/English/Collections/

Hope these might help. Was going to link you to the Nat Museum of Labour History but they are refurbishing till early 2010.