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Potato Queues

The humble spud is the star attraction for the long lines of people waiting to fortify their wartime Sunday lunches

Non-Fiction 1917 1 mins Silent

Overview

Roasted, baked, boiled, fried, chipped, mashed… any threat to the availability of potatoes would surely throw the nation into a panic? Though never rationed, spud shortages were not uncommon in WWI, and scenes such as these - seemingly genial - queues made good newsreel fodder. The situation was certainly better than in Germany at this time, which was in the grips of its 'Turnip Winter' due to a poor potato harvest.