« Reply #26 on: Friday 24 March 17 00:44 GMT (UK) »
Several contributors have mentioned the smell of the perfumes on offer, which reminded me of my Uncle Fred, who after being demobbed from the army eventually set up in business with another man.
Rationing during and after the Second World War meant the ingredients for making perfumes were limited. The end of the war and the end of some rationing meant there was a whole new market for "luxuries" and when soap came off rationing in 1950 the men decided they'd make and sell perfumed soap. The family were eventually shown samples and I recall the soap's fragrance was of an English flower garden in summer. In those days people lived near their workplace and in close proxiity with other members of their family and the news was that Fred was doing so well that he could hardly keep up with the demands of his customers. In those days mid afternoon was cuppa tea time and my mother and her sisters accompanied by offspring had congregated at their mother's house to right the world when unexpectedly Fred walked in looking very dejected. Apparently he'd had a visit from the Ministry of Bowler Hats, Grey Suits, Weskits (waistcoats) and Briefcases
. In those days you had to pay for and register your business (which would be allocatd an official number) before trading. This, Fred and his partner had done and after a few weeks the applicaton had been passed by the Department of Officialdom, which had sent the partners documents to that effect. This particular day he was being accused of illegal trading without a licence. Protestations by Fred but the Bowler Hats stood firm and pointed out that he didn't have a licence to use Perfume in his soap.
This ingredient was scarce, still strictly regulated and a special licence was needed, which Fred's small business would not qualify for.
We're still on the subject of "smell" because Fred's next venture was to follow in his father's footsteps by opening his own fish and chip shop where he also made patties to his own recipe.... and if you're not from Hull or Yorkshire you won't know what a pattie is
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