Thirty-one members of the Old Gala Club visited an exhibition put on by the Museum Service in the Christopher Boyd Gallery of Old Gala House to commemorate the ending of the Second World War. This was really well done and fascinating for those of us old enough to remember the war. There was a full-sized corrugated iron Anderson shelter fully stocked with a bed, blankets, candles, a paraffin stove heater, sand bags, gas masks, food and drink together with knitting and cards to pass the time.

We were urged to "Dig for Victory" with a very realistic allotment growing cabbages and carrots and also to hand in our aluminium pots and pans as it took 5000 pots to build a fighter and 25,000 pans to build a bomber. We were reminded that "Careless Talk Costs Lives" and asked to "Make Do and Mend" while our lady members were urged to join the WRNS, the WAAF, the ATS or become a Land Girl.

In one corner was a fascinating little secret room similar to those used by SOE operators in France complete with Mark /I transceiver. This was a very dangerous occupation and the average life expectancy of an operative was only six weeks. Their four main tasks were to bring in and operate secret radios for communications, to arrange safe dropping zones for supplies, to find safe houses and identify helpers who could be trusted and to organise sabotage especially on the railways.

There was a War Operations Map Table in the middle of the exhibition, tributes to the Code Breakers at Bletchley Park, and examples of ration books, identity cards, Spam, Camp Coffee and dried egg. We were reminded that in 1941 one person's weekly ration included bacon or ham 40z., sugar 80z., butter 20z., cooking fat 80z., meat 1/-'s worth (5p's worth!), tea 20z., cheese 10z., and jam 20z. There were many other worthwhile exhibits to peruse. This was a really good exhibition bringing back many nostalgic memories of the war and reminding us of how well off we are today.

Reported by D.R.T. 28^th April 2005.