Why is it that these days every phone call I make to old friends ends up sounding like a Monty Python sketch? Who would've thought forty years ago we'd all be sitting here talking like that?
While war never came to Australia, rationing went on for quite a while after the war had ended. Weekly rations were limited to 900 grams of meat, 225 grams of butter, 450 grams of sugar, and 90 grams of tea.
What luxury! In post-war Germany there was nothing to ration! I grew up on bread and dripping, treacle, oatmeal, the occasional savoury mince (which I still love today), and a surfeit of potatoes.
The rest of my growing-up I did in Australia - on mixed grill, silverside and lamb chops at Canberra's Barton House. There the only rationing was the portion control exercised by the fat Yugoslav cook who always took just one pitying look at me before adding another lamb chop.
I still have the occasional cup of cold tea today without milk or sugar; in fact, without tea itself! It's called Perrier! Try telling that to the young people of today!
