A note written by a teenager detailing their experiences of post-World War Two hardships has been discovered hidden in a door panel that was rescued from the scrap heap. The handwritten note, from 1947, spoke of daily six-hour power cuts, no coal in “any quantity,” and a shortage of food. Tom Yuen, from Cardiff, stumbled upon the note whilst hunting for a second-hand door panel and felt it was like a “handshake through history”. Cardiff’s National Museum has shown interest in exhibiting the panel as an artefact portraying the past.
The note read, “To the person who will read this, Steve Alford hopes that things are much better now. Peter Cowley, now age 16 years, also wishes the same to you.” Speaking about the discovery, 31-year-old Yuen said, “It’s quite sad really, dated two years after the war, they are cold, have no food; there is no central heating. I think you can’t really compare life today to then, it really puts life into perspective.” The message also indicated the looming state control of the British Medical Association and the absence of football for a month due to the ground being frozen.
In 1947, Britain experienced its most severe winter in living memory, resulting in 10ft snow drifts blocking roads and rail lines, and day-time blackouts were introduced due to fuel shortages. Miners couldn’t get to work, and factories became silent, and concern spread for the complete disaster due to the immense scale of the crisis. Historian Dr. Elin Jones said people would have felt the effects of World War Two for another seven years, with rationing continuing to 1954. With the NHS passing its 73rd anniversary, its development and future progress serve as a reminder of hopes and struggles throughout history and time.
Tom Yuen acquired the door panel for free from a paint stripper yard that faced dumping it in Cardiff. Upon discovering the hidden note detailing the hardships from 1947 By Steve Alford and Peter Cowley, Tom was considering getting it framed, but he now feels that it belongs to everyone. The message reflects the strength of worker unions of the time as the idea of capped hours didn’t exist for many in those days. While Dr. Jones thinks the panel offers an insight into the significant differences of life from then to now, she also wonders how many other messages from the people of the past are waiting to be found
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