Welcome To Jabberwocky
A Website dedicated to a nostalgic look at Cold War and war preparations devised by, and advised to, a bewildered and anxious general public when it seemed that nuclear war was a distinct possibility.
memorabilia
noun
/ˌmemərəˈbɪliə/
/ˌmemərəˈbɪliə/
[plural]
- things that people collect because they once belonged to a famous person, or because they are connected with a particular interesting place, event or activity.
Note that in the case of Jabberwocky the memorabilia are more memory joggers than physical objects.
The fear, the joy (yes, it was not all fear), the fun bits, the serious bits, in a world which had changed and was continuing to change in ways both good and bad , at such a pace that "ordinary folk" were hard pressed to keep up.
What is Jabberwocky about, and why ?
Explore an extensive archive dedicated to civil defence memorabilia.
Lots of Cold War 2 stuff, and a bit of "UK Prepping too !
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
From a poem by Lewis Carroll, the Jabberwock was a fearsome and scary beast , even though it didn't really exist.
It had a life of it's own - rather like a civilian Cold War, based as it was, and still is, on the fear of a monstrous creature with jaws and claws in the form of nuclear weapons.
What is "Cold War 2" ?
The first Cold War ended when the Berlin Wall came down and the old Soviet Union Collapsed.
Since then fears of war have resurfaced and there are concerns that Cold War 2 has started.
Tagline
So what WAS it all about ? Really ?
It would take more sensible websites, historians and political think-tanks than this to answer THAT one, and that's for sure. If you have taken the time to visit this website, it shows at least SOME interest in that strange , decade spanning period. Maybe you were there, and maybe you will think "Ah Yes ! I remember now !"
Or maybe you are unfamiliar with the whole period, in which case this is at least a "taster" of the vast amount of information on what must surely be one of the most dangerous, worrying and fun period in written history.
Rather like "The People's War" a view of World War Two from a civilian, U.K. perspective, Jabberwocky will try to fill in some gaps, the documented timeline from Berlin Wall through Cuban Missile Crisis to the dissolution of the Soviet Union has been covered by experts in the field from many different perspectives.
But what about US, the ordinary people of the U.K. , what was the Cold War like, and equally important, how did it FEEL ?
A Bright New Era ?
The war was over, and and 1954 finally saw the end of rationing in the U.K. but also saw a hardening of the Cold War "Battle lines" as under Nikita Kruschev and Dwight Eisenhower, both major Cold Warleaders ,who had served in WW2 as allies, times had changed - a lot.
By this time both major Cold War protagonists had fully functioning, tested, nuclear arsenals, but on Carnaby Street the lifting of restrictions on war materiel had ushered in a new era of bright colours, fashions and a whole new attitude was in the air.
The end of rationing in 1954 covered other war restrictions, including restrictions which, when lifted led to an explosion in coloured fabric (aniline ) dyes and the "Swinging Sixties" was made possible. (Janet Street-Porter has covered this) reference needed.
The U.N. , finally an end to war ?
The United Nations officially came into being on 24 October 1945, when the UN Charter was ratified by the required major powers and a majority of signatory states.
Was this an end to war ? Certainly the idealism was there, and for a brief period it seemed that maybe nations had had enough of war, but it did not last.
Geopolitics , and hindsight, have encouraged many learned figures and think-tanks to declare that it COULD not last, with the rationale that the first power bloc back on it's feet would make the best use of the others' weaknesses to expand it's sphere of influence or access to resources.
The arms race was well and truly on.
A Whole New Perspective On Music
Popular music was changing.
The days of Vera Lynn and Gracie fields were over . There was an appetite for new styles of music, fashion, dancing "Sub Cultures" - Youth Culture , of various demoninations was born.
It was as if the young people had consigned "The War" to history and were defining THEIR future.
Progressive music, taking advantage of new instruments and recording techniques led to new musical genres, some of which took hold and influence music to this day (2026)
Not bad for a colourful, loud and carefree generation (or two) living "Under the shadow of The Bomb"
Historical Archives
By modern (2025) standards , the idealised Family Fallout Shelter seems fanciful.
Though it should be mentioned that it could serve multiple purposes, including protection against wildfire, tornado and hurricanes. Not forgetting storage and even a novelty "Kids Den" or guest accommodation (?) Air B'n'B (??)
The corrugated steel roof is a clue that this is actually an underground survival "Bunker"
Only part of the layout, habitation is possible for weeks as a stand-alone module, and almost indefinitely as a dwelling reliant on external food and water.
The roof is the giveaway, rather like the old WW2 Anderson Shelter design - a tried and tested method.
Is it on Air B,N.B. ? I would give it a go !
Gallery
Famous Names in the Field
It is almost impossible to stray into the domain of the "Prepper without encountering the following names.
Cresson H. Kearny. Phillip J. Dolan and Samuel Glasstone.
For those of old enough to remember, the coffee table book "The Third World War " by General Sir Jon Hackett was a speculation as to how Cold War 1 COULD end.
Glasstone and Dolan's "The Effects of Nuclear Weapons is THE primary source available to civilians and is even referred to by FEMA. the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Glasstone and Dolan
Joint authors of "Effects of Nuclear Weapons" which is THE primary source available to civilians as to what information the U.S. nuclear weapon test programme yielded.
Declassified and available online, it is written at two distinct levels. One for the layman, and one for those with scientific understanding of the principles involved.
Glasstone and Dolan's work is the foundation for everything from the UK's "Protect and Survive" Booklet to "Nukemap" and is still (2025) cited in various FEMA civil defence
contingency documents.
It would be fair to say that Cresson Kearny is the father of “Prepping”, a subject he was allowed to investigate during his time at the Nuclear Weapons Testing Programme in Nevada in the 1960's.
He was convinced that while it might not be luxurious, with minimum tools and materials a family could build an effective fallout shelter in about 48 hours.
This, construction details and plans for other items such as air circulating devices and even a fallout meter were published in his book “Nuclear War Survival Skills” , one of the “Go To” sources for any enthusiastic Prepper.
Quick Links To Other Pages
The "Standard" Menu Bar is at the top right of the page, with the usual three bar drop-down to indicate there are MORE pages than overtly displayed, but here are a few quick summaries and links to help you browse the website.
Prepper, Survivalist or Neither ?
Culture and Cold
War ?
In Memoriam
Neither ? A lighthearted look at the three "Tribes" (Which one are YOU ?)
But with a few serious questions at the end (Largely left for the viewer to decide).
Armed Clash or ideological clash ?
The Cold War was as much about Hearts and Minds as who could defeat the other (If it ever came to that)
A look at some Soviet exports which were loved by the West and to some of us bring on a feeling of nostalgia to this day.
This website asks more questions than it ever intends to answer.
Cold War - A war that never happened, right ?
But people died because of it, in uniform , and not.
This section is a brief apology for the general "Jokiness" of the rest of the website.
Bottom Line
"Peace Is Never Free"
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Star Wars
(Strategic Defence Initiative)
K.F.M
(Kearny Fallout Meter)
Four Hosemen ?
No, Not The Pub !
Not Just SDI, but some other aspects of the whole plausible defence strategy.
Is a plausible defence in itself a form of offensive threat ?
CND , Greenham Common, SDI, Nuclear Deterrent and even Civil Defence, all part of the same Cold War "Package" ?
Although if you ever find yourself in Bournemouth, why not pop into The Four Horsemen for a look ?
But the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are a little different. In fact VERY different.
War, Famine, Pestilence and Death.
In THAT order ? A Medieval European peasant would say yes, Famine and Pestilence follow War, with Death bringing up the rear.
Click here for a speculative look at the various effects a modern war could create.
A truly remarkable home-constructable instrument , devised to give ordinary citizens information about their exposure to gamma radiation from fallout.
Click below for more details, you might even want to build one yourself !
(Anyone remember the BBC Series "Blue Peter" ?)
Click the button below for a link to the Jabberwocky KFM page, and more sources.