Nella Last's War established a housewife and mother from Barrow-in-Furness as one of the most powerful and moving voices of the Second World War, and inspired the award-winning television drama Housewife, 49 (starring Victoria Wood). In this next instalment of her unique diaries, Nella Last describes how ordinary people rebuilt their lives after the war was over.

While the Allies' victory was a cause for hope and celebration, much anxiety remained. In her sensitive and playful account of daily life in the austerity years, written like her diaries for the Mass Observation project, Nella Last captures the thoughts and feelings of post-war Britain.

Robert Malcolmson is Professor Emeritus of history at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada. Patricia Malcolmson is a historian and a former executive in the Ontario public service. They live in Cobourg, Ontario.

Since winning the BBC Radio Drama Prize, Carole Boyd has worked extensively in radio and theatre. She played Shirley Edwards in the Radio 2 soap opera Waggoner's Walk for four years and plays Lynda Snell in The Archers. An experienced narrator and radio actress, she appears regularly on BBC Radio.