These days, blackout blinds in the bedroom or nursery are a luxury, and their purpose is to help people sleep better and longer. There is certainly no law saying you have to have them. But 73 years ago, it was against the law NOT to have them. On 1 September 1939, before the declaration of World WarII, it became compulsory to black out all windows and doors with a suitable material such as heavy curtains, cardboard or paint. The Government made sure that the materials necessary were able to be obtained cheaply enough by even the poorest families. In most cases black cotton fabric was used, so the bigger your house, the more it would cost to black it out. And often it took 2 or 3 layers of material to block the light completely. This cheap material was often very difficult to hang over windows; it was fine if you had wooden window frames, but many people struggled to hang their blackout material in windows with stone or metal frames. Air Raid Patrol Wardens patrolled the streets and reported any household who had light showing to the local authorities. There were stiff fines imposed if you didn’t comply. The purpose of this mass cover up was to prevent the escape of any glimmer of light that might aid enemy aircraft in navigation, while flying overhead. Even street lights were switched off, and essential lights such as traffic lights and vehicle headlights were fitted with slotted covers so they shone only on the road. And in cities by the coast, the blackouts allowed vessels to move around the coastline without being silhouetted against the city lights and subsequently targeted by the enemy’s submarines. The streets were finally allowed to be fully lit again in April 1945, five and a half years after the Blackout descended. And people have been using blackout blinds to keep light out, not in, ever since.
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Welcome to easyblinds
I hope that with our blackout blind products, hints and tips, that we can help you and yours to sleep well!
Audrey Buck, founder of easyblindsBest Selling Products
