Living Interwar

• 1. War ends
  2. Firms recalibrate for peacetime production
  3. Prices rose
  4. Government didn't regulate production
  5. Demobilised soldiers returned to work
  6. Families had money to spend
  7. 'Homes fit for heroes' seems more likely
• By the end of 1920, 1 million unemployed, 1/3 of which are ex-servicemen
• In 1930s, unemployment never fell below 1 million... not universal
• 1932

  • 12% unemployment in electrical appliance
  • 70% unemployment in ship building
• Young women maintained employment as nurses and teachers
• Floorboards so rotten that tables could break through
• 1936 unemployment

  • South East - 5.6%
  • Northern Ireland - 23%
• Some areas saw living standards improve. Household appliance industry boomed.
• Middle class families had more access to electric workers, vacuum cleaners etc.

  • 1930 - 200,000 vacuum cleaner sales a year
• Food stuffs imported (some believed fresh fruit was bad for children)

  • Prices for food fell
  • 20,000 fish and chip shops, fish less than 2p
• Of 1.1 million council houses built during interwar period, 90% on new estates.
• Housing easier to come by - for less affluent, older houses cost £125 (less than a car)
• Decent homes in London cost £450