▁as ▁Manchester ▁and ▁Lanc ash ire ▁suffering ▁a ▁sl ump . ▁The ▁South ▁Wales ▁Valle ys , ▁a ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁coal ▁min ing ▁and ▁steel ▁indust ries , ▁was ▁also ▁dev ast ated ▁by ▁the ▁de pression ▁where ▁towns ▁such ▁as ▁Mer th yr ▁T yd fil ▁and ▁Sw anse a ▁had ▁un emp loyment ▁rates ▁reaching ▁above ▁ 2 5 % ▁at ▁certain ▁times . ▁The ▁industrial ▁bel t ▁of ▁central ▁Scotland , ▁also ▁a ▁major ▁ship building ▁centre ▁in ▁Glasgow , ▁was ▁also ▁hard ▁hit ▁by ▁the ▁sl ump . ▁ ▁In ▁these ▁areas , ▁millions ▁of ▁un emp loy ed ▁and ▁their ▁families ▁were ▁left ▁dest itute , ▁and ▁queue ing ▁at ▁soup ▁k itch ens ▁became ▁a ▁way ▁of ▁life . ▁A ▁government ▁report ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 3 0 s ▁estimated ▁that ▁around ▁ 2 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁UK ' s ▁population ▁existed ▁on ▁a ▁subs istence ▁di et , ▁often ▁with ▁signs ▁of ▁child ▁mal nut r ition ▁such ▁as ▁sc ur vy , ▁r ick ets ▁and ▁t uber cul osis . ▁In ▁his ▁book ▁The ▁Road ▁to ▁W igan ▁Pier , ▁George ▁Or well ▁described ▁life ▁for ▁the ▁un emp loy ed ▁in ▁northern ▁England ▁during ▁the ▁de pression : ▁" S ever al ▁hundred ▁men ▁risk ▁their ▁lives ▁and ▁several ▁hundred ▁women ▁sc rab ble ▁in ▁the ▁mud ▁for ▁hours ... ▁searching ▁eager ly ▁for ▁tiny ▁ch ips ▁of ▁coal ▁in ▁sl ag he aps ▁so ▁they ▁could ▁heat ▁their