Take a trip back in time to the 1940s. As if fighting World War II wasn’t hard enough, British people had to put up with years of rationing, baths taken in a couple of inches of water and frequent outbreaks of head lice.
Bombs at Teatime is a portrait of domestic life in Britain throughout one of the most extraordinary decades of our history. At times wry, affectionate and surprising, these rarely seen films from the BFI National Archive document a time of great austerity as Britain sought to retain its sanity in the shadow of war.
Films
Five-Inch Bather
Dir: Richard Massingham | 1942 | 2 mins
A portly (and naked) Richard Massingham instructs Britons in the importance of water economy. From the maker/star of Handkerchief Drill (1949) – recently seen across the UK accompanying the release of The History Boys.
The Good Housewife ‘In Her Kitchen’
1949 | 9 mins
Once the war was over everyone looked forward to an end to rationing. But change didn’t come *that* quickly. For the middle-class woman, a spanking new kitchen was, at least, an option. But what about the average housewife? She couldn’t afford the newly available, but very expensive, modern appliances.
Two Cooks and a Cabbage
Dir: Alex Bryce | 1941 | 6 mins
Two girls demonstrate their cabbage boiling prowess to Granny, with mixed results. Produced by the Ministry of Food.
Tea Making Tips
1941 | 12 mins
Welcome to the world of a national obsession. Learn ‘the six golden tips’ for making good tea as well as a few handy hints for cleaning that hard-to-reach tap in your tea urn. Remember: a dirty tap means dirty tea.
Unwanted Guests
1943 | 8 mins
Everything you never wanted to know about head lice. The film offers scalp-itching close-ups of nits as well as invaluable advice on how to avoid and destroy the little blighters. Sponsored by the Central Council for Health Education.
Christmas Under Fire
Dir: Harry Watt | 1941 | 10 mins
A pre-Pearl Harbor plea for American support, the film also provides a record of Britain during the Christmas of 1940. Christmas, of course, goes on as usual, but this year Christmas trees are cut short to fit in the shelters and Tube platforms are full of people trying to sleep. Propaganda of the most moving kind.
The Countrywomen
Dir: John Page | 1941 | 14 mins
Proving that they’re far more than jam and Jerusalem, this is a record of the remarkable (and little known) contribution of the Women’s Institute to the War effort. Worth the price of admission alone for a glimpse of an all-female village hall production of A Christmas Carol.
Springtime in an English Village
Colonial Film Unit | 1948 | 7 mins
A young Black girl is crowned Queen of the May in this unexpected snapshot of rural life in the 1940s. But this film shouldn’t be taken at face value. A propaganda document made for screening in Britain’s African colonies, it clearly offers a less-than-accurate vision of the average English village.
Island People
Dir: Paul Rotha & Philip Leacock | 1940 | 10 mins
A portrait of Britain as a society in which shared values transcend geography and class divisions. As to what’s changed since 1940… The international economy is no longer so heavily centred on London. ‘High tea’ isn’t often taken. But pubs, football and gardening are still fixtures of national life.