大象传媒

This event must have been around late 1941, when I was 4 years old. We lived at South Rd. Hamworthy now called Shapwich Rd that is Step-mum and Dad, brother Tony, sister Betty and myself.

The night before we were all three bundled up in our eiderdowns and put in the Morrison air raid shelter down in the living room. It was one of the few times I actually heard the bombs, as they were pretty close. We were not scared, more excited with all the hustle and bustle.

As far as I recall they were trying to blow up the local gas works and destroy the deep water harbour. Barrage balloons seemed to prevent that.

However the morning came and my brother and sister were all excited about them going to miss school, as the Street gossip was indicating that the Hamworthy Rd Bridge had been blown up. Mum and Dad鈥檚 answer to that was sharp and cross as it could mean having to go the long way round via Oakdale; no cars in those days and few buses.

Of course I was not old enough to be affected, so did not know what all the fuss was about. Shortly we set off with Mum, Dad having left for work. Rounding the corner gasps of dismay coming from my brother and sister and a smile of relief from Mum. The bridge was still intact.

The school was situated approximately another 陆 mile further and strangely was South Rd, Poole. It ran along a back street parallel to Poole Quay.

On our arrival, much to the delight of Betty and Tony, we faced a huge pile of bricks and rubble with smoke still drifting out. The school itself had received a direct hit.

Life has a strange way of satisfying some people鈥檚 wishes. Mum, as always resigned to the inevitable, made immediate plans to cope. Their generation were truly resourceful.

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