Man in Jam Making Incident

It is probably quite a well-known fact that during World War Two, Womens’ Institutes came into their own in terms of food provision for their villages and towns. Jams and chutneys were produced in record amounts by women in the spare moments between other essential war work. Apparently, approximately 4,700 tonnes of jam was made throughout the conflict. Village halls were often the headquarters of the production lines. You can imagine the sort of person who would be in charge, can’t you…the school mistress, the doctor’s wife or the parish clerk’s wife? Or how about the local bobby?

Rosedale Abbey, a tiny village near Pickering on the North Yorkshire Moors, was flying against stereotypes in 1945. There, the village policeman was in charge of jam production and was, according to the Food Ministry Liaison Officer, “Adept in the processes.”

I imagine that the jam making centre was housed in this lovely little building here:

I delight in the Yorkshire Post’s handling of the matter, headlining the article “Rosedale Abbey Incident” as if putting a man in charge of jam making was akin to say, a car crash or a mugging.

If you like village halls, women's institutes and gardening you might like my novella, click here to find out more

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