大象传媒

The day war broke out was the first day my twin sister Pauline and I had been left by our parents while they went to London to see a Radio Exhibition ( Dad's passion). As soon as they heard the news they got the train back home. Father had heard rumours of war and had tried all avenues to join the forces, but because he had poor eyesight he was turned down. Later when conscription started he was taken into the Army. (Royal Artillery). After training in Northern Ireland he was posted to Devon.
By the time of the May Blitz 1941, my mother was heavily pregnant and though due in June, Mavis arrived at the end of May. Some months later we went to join Dad in Devon where we stayed for a couple of years. The first school we were allocated to neither we nor our mother were happy with, there seemed to be a lot of problems like Nits, Impetigo etc of which we had never heard. After some discussion we were sent to Countess Wear School which we enjoyed. During our time in Devon we joined the Girl Guides (a year early). I remember a big parade through Exeter and a service at the Cathedral which was attended by Lord Baden-Powell.
By 1943 our house in Wallasey had been ransacked and the police told our parents that if we wanted anything left we should go back home. Our beds, half of the bedroom suite, all the crockery, cutlery and carpets had been taken. All our toys including our dolls and doll's prams had also gone. My Dad later bought his Primus Stove back from a second hand shop!
I can also remember the deflated barrage balloon on the bowling green, opposite our home in Seacombe, and how the RAF personnel would roll us up in it, then unroll it so we all came tumbling out. For a couple of years we had half day schooling as the male teachers had all been called up. There was therefore a great shortage of teaching staff.
When we returned to Wallasey (1944)we went to Oldershaw Grammar School and I remember becoming a member of the 'Peanut Club'. We all wore a Peanut Badge, and if you recruited 50 members for the club you received a Golden Peanut. The money we collected at the club/school went to Stoke Mandeville.

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