U.S. And Us

1943
Sound
2m

An American G.I. learns how to brew a proper English cuppa in this jolly wartime ad for Maypole tea.

An American GI enjoys the best of English hospitality in this jolly wartime tea advert. After a "swell" meal and a round of whist, our Yankee friend learns the secret of good tea making: one teaspoon per person and one for the pot. But with food rationing in full swing, the old adage is sorely stretched. The solution? Use Maypole Tea, "a brand which is so economical, you can drink tea all day long, and still have enough for an early morning cup".

The film was made a year after the first GIs were deployed in Britain, and draws on that popularly imagined 'special relationship' between Brits and Yanks. Our visitor's gleeful assertion that "you can drink tea all day long" may, however, have been optimistic. The tea ration enforced in Britain between 1940 and 1952 allowed just 2 oz per person - enough for around 2 or, at a push, 3 cups of weakish tea each day.

Life Under Fire

The horror of Luftwaffe bombs coloured daily life in Britain's cities and beyond, and war brought myriad daily hardships besides. But Britain could take it!

The Blitz receded after May 1941, but even after the Battle of Britain, the nation faced a barrage of incendiary bombs, V-1s and V-2s. While young men fought Axis powers across three continents, their families listened anxiously to the wireless, while many worried too about children far from home. But in the face of the destruction, sirens, blackouts and hours in shelters, the now-legendary 'Blitz spirit' kept despair at bay. Britain held her nerve thanks to mutual support, defiance and wit - plus a good grumble and as many cups of tea as rationing allowed.