Rationing began with sugar, butter and bacon, but soon expanded to cover all meat, eggs, milk and tea. Anything made with these foods was also rationed, so cheese, jam, sweets and other foods were only available on ration. Imported foods especially were in short supply during the war, but food rationing continued after the Second World War ended. Sweets only came off ration in 1953, and meat in 1954. This book was issued to Muriel Thomas of 4, The Paragon, Clifton, for the year 1947-8, two years after the end of the war. Like food, cloth and clothing was rationed during the Second World War from 1941. People were encouraged to mend their clothes so that factories and materials could be used for the war effort rather than for fashion. As with food, the government issued people with coupons to buy clothes. A woman's skirt or man's trousers needed eight coupons, a man's raincoat 16 coupons, and underwear three coupons for vest or underpants. Once the coupons were used up, no other clothes could be bought officially, though friends and family might give up coupons for a special occasion such as a wedding. This book of clothing coupons was issued to Olive Thomas of 4, The Paragon, Clifton, for 1944-5, towards the end of the war.