When we think about everyday life during the Second World War, we often think about hardship and sacrifice, rationing, and ‘doing without’ for the greater good of the war effort. But this is not quite the full picture.

This talk explores leisure and pleasure in wartime Scotland, uncovering the ways people found to enjoy life and express themselves during this time of hardship. It touches upon food and drink, entertainment and relaxation, and considers the way leisure was used both as a form of resistance and a way of expressing cultural identity.

Dr Michelle Moffat is a historian of war and society, and her research focuses on Scottish experiences of the Second World War. She completed her Doctorate in History at the University of Otago (New Zealand), and her first monograph – Scottish Society in the Second World War: Tradition, Tension, Transformation – was published by Edinburgh University Press in 2023. She is Co-Director of the Asia-Pacific branch of the Second World War Research Group, and joined Manchester Metropolitan University as a research associate in early 2024. When she’s not in the archives, Michelle enjoys sewing her own clothes and riding her electric bicycle.