1939: When a 半分 in the South cost £400

By TOM KELLY FOR THE DAILY MAIL
Updated: 09:42 BST, 5 December 2008

?

Britons were more anxious about Luftwaffe 爆弾s destroying their homes than banks repossessing them when 利益／興味 率s were last put at two per cent in 1939.

支援する in time to 1939: It's nearly 70 years since 率s were 2%

The 恐れる of German 空襲s cast a dark 影をつくる／尾行する over the country after the 突発／発生 of war in September, even though the 十分な horror of the Blitz did not 広げる until the に引き続いて year.

More than a million children were 避難させるd from cities to the countryside and every man, woman and child was 要求するd to carry a gas mask.

Sandbags were piled around doors and windows of shops and public buildings and a 灯火管制／停電 introduced which 含むd street lighting and car headlights. This すぐに 原因（となる）d a threefold rise in 衝突，墜落s.

By December 一斉射撃，（質問などの）連発／ダム balloons floating above cities to 阻止する enemy 爆撃機s were a ありふれた sight.

Entertainment was also 攻撃する，衝突する by the war 成果／努力 with the BBC's 育てる／巣立つing television service - serving 20,000 テレビ視聴者s - was 一時停止するd until その上の notice in September. The 会社／団体 created the 無線で通信する Home Service of hourly news 公式発表s, 告示s and music.

Cinemas were ordered to の近くに after 6pm, but those who did make it to the pictures enjoyed classics such as Goodbye Mr 半導体素子s and the Wizard of Oz. On 行う／開催する／段階 comedy 行為／法令／行動する the Crazy ギャング（団） were the 星／主役にするs of the age, with their song Run, Rabbit, Run a spin off 攻撃する，衝突する. For children, there was the Beano comic, which had started the previous year.

One newspaper 報告（する）／憶測d that the 衝撃 of the 灯火管制／停電 meant a return to old-fashioned 楽しみs, with 'many firesides where the family groups itself as it has not done since Victorian days'.

The number of marriages also 急に上がるd, hitting 459,000 by the end of the year, up 100,000 on 1938, as couples 急ぐd to 結婚する before 存在 called up. But, even with 集まり mobilisation, more than 1.2m 労働者s were still 失業した, a hangover from the 不景気 of the 早期に 1930s.

On Sept ember 27 （ドイツなどの）首相／（大学の）学長 Sir John Simon raised 所得税 for middle earners to a 記録，記録的な／記録する 37.5% to 上げる the war 成果／努力. 税金 on those on over £30,000 a year rose to 47.5%.

義務s on タバコ, beer and spirits were also raised, with the price of a 瓶／封じ込める of whisky going up to five shillings and nine pence (29p). Food rationing did not begin until the に引き続いて January, so many families enjoyed a proper Christmas dinner in 1939.

石油 at one shilling and eight pence (8.5p) was rationed in September, although most travel was done by train. The 住宅 market - which had enjoyed a six year にわか景気 - was one of the few things not 攻撃する，衝突する by the war.

About 40% of the 全住民 were homeowners in 1939, up from 10% in 1930, after a 大規模な 増加する in house building during the １０年間. A 半分- detached home on a new 広い地所 in the Home 郡s cost about £400.