Royston Kneath tells all:

"Here, passed on from memory by a friend, are some examples of prices for Christmas shopping in 1938 and, if by today's standards they appear cheap, remember that wages were very low in comparison with modern pay packets.

In 1938 the old imperial currency system was in operation and it was very different from the metric system we know today based on pounds and pence in multiples of ten.

The old system - phased out in the early 1970s - was based on pounds, shillings, and pence and there were 12 pence (12d) to the shilling (1s) and 20 shillings (240d) to the pound (£1/-) 2.4d would be worth 1p today, 1s would be worth 5p, 2s worth 10p and so on. There were also some coins that may seem very strange today like the farthing (1/4d) worth just 0.1p in decimal currency, the halfpenny (1/2d or ha'penny) worth 0.2 p, the sixpence or tanner (6d) worth 2.5p, and the half-crown (2s 6d) worth 12.5p.

In the shopping list below today's money is given in brackets.

Pembroke turkeys were selling at 2s 6d a pound (12.5p)
Geese 2s (10p)
Ducks 2s (10p)
Chickens 1s 6d (7.5p)

Also per pound:
Nuts - 6d (2.5p)
Apples - 4d (1.7p)
Grapes - 6d (2.5p)

Oranges - 4 for 6d (2.5p)
Tangerines - 1d each (0.4p)
Pears - 2d each (0.8p)
Dates - 6d a box (2.5p)
Eggs 1s 9d a dozen (8.8p)

Whisky from 15 shillings a bottle (75p)
Brandy from 14s 6d (72.5p)
Port - 3s 6d (17.5p)
Sherry 3s 6d (17.5p)
Champagne 9s 6d (47.5p)
Capstan cigars were 20 for eleven pence halfpenny (4.6p)
Players cigarettes 50 for 2s 6d (12.5p)
Cadburys milk tray chocolates were 6d a quarter lb (2.5p)

Peacocks stores advertised:
Dolls houses from 2s 11d (14.6p)
Tricycles from £1/-15s (£1.75)
Boxes of crackers from 6d (2.5p)
The store remained open until 9pm on Christmas Eve - and for that special treat, Franks in Union Street offered Green's Ice-cream Puddings for 2s (10p) each!

Rosyton Kneath