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Of course, all these people had to be fed, which in some areas was difficult with the introduction of Food rations. Although Stroud seems to have managed better than many other communities.

TRANSCRIPT
I remember when it broke out that there was food rationing. I remember it was 8d worth of fresh meat plus 4d worth of corned meat.  I remember most that that each of us was allowed 2oz of cheese, 2oz of butter and 4oz of margarine.
GEORGE GLEED

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Well (pt), of course, everything was rationed during the war (pt) and (eh) meat was (eh) extremely (eh) the (m) meat ration was extremely small.  Everybody had to be (eh) registered with a butcher
ADRIAN HOLLOWAY

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...back in those days I remember as a young [eh] boy that [eh] they [i.e. "there"] were butchers everywhere and shops all over Stroud.  'A very busy - seemed to be happy - place to me, even during the war.  [Eh] we all had our ration books and we were all [ehm] allocated to various shops or registered with them regarding where we got our bits of food i.e. cheese, meats and everything else like that. 
MR Y (Interviewee prefers not to be identified)

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I knew the Seabrook family because Mr Seabrook's sister came down from London and she worked with us in the wages allocation office at Sperry Gyroscope their daughter Peggy, she was also there as well. But previous to owning his own butcher shop Jack Seabrook was manager of Eastman's old shop where Ron Lewis the electrician is now..
you said there was a lot of butchers in Stroud at that time?
Definitely [Mm] there was two in Nelson Street, which as the Co-op and Jack Powell's in Faar's Lane. Now y' come down further you got butcher Day on The Cross an' then Seabrook an' Hughes - Pritchard's next door - which is either side of [eh] Swan Lane and opposite there was the old Eastman's shop, which Jack Seabrook was t' manager of.  Come down further you've got [ehm] Bainbrige's. And also there was also there was another butcher shop [eh] just down below Smith & Lee the ironmonger.. And then another one further down where the paper shop is today - where Alldays are Then there was one [eh] another one belonging to [eh] Eastman's in Kendrick [eh] in King Street.  And then go along further and then you had Hales [Mm].  [Eh] go down Gloucester Street, you 'ad one there.  And then there was Kendrick Street another branch of Eastman's - but they were run under different names..
JOAN DICKINSON

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From January 2016, this website is managed by Stroud Local History Society

CM 1455 meat ration book