A Wearside Christmas in the war years

How the people of Sunderland celebrated Christmas during the Second World War

Transcript

00:00 Spare a thought for the people of Sunderland in the Second World War.

00:04 Christmas was a very different occasion back then, as they faced the threat of air raids

00:11 and the constant pressure of rationing, and yet they still did their best to make the season merry.

00:17 Streamers adorned the ATS canteen, and they somehow served up feasts from the meagre food

00:25 supplies. For some, there were tough times as their homes were bombed. For others,

00:32 there was the constant routine of patrols to try and keep the people of Wearside safe.

00:37 There were tough times, and these Echo Archive photos give us a permanent reminder of the

00:45 perils our families faced. Get in touch if you have memories of Christmas's past to share.

00:52 email chris.cordner@nationalworld.com