大象传媒

This story has been entered by Shila Nadar of CSV/大象传媒 LONDON on behalf of Eileen and has been added to this site with her permission. The author fully understands and accepts the site's terms.

I can remember the air raids, and I can remember the sirens going off practically regularly at seven o'clock in the evening. Mum used to have everything packed there. One would have to pick up a bag of food, one had to pick up a handbag with all the insurance policies in it, one had to pick up a flask and we used to go down there. Dad made some bunks, and we used to lie on the bunks. I remember one night being down there and a mouse got in and jumped on us, and there was such a mess.
My Dad was a warden, and he'd be going round all the back alleys and shouting out to people to find out if they were all right in the air raids.
I remember one afternoon my sister had made some home made bread, and it was in the oven. There was an air raid going on and the guns were going, and it was time for her bread to come out of the oven. We all said, 'No, you can't go out!', but she ran up the garden quickly and got her bread out, and the bread was saved!
Another Sunday I remember we were there and one of the horrible doodlebugs came down in a street nearby. I remember stuff in the front room being blown down, and I was so amazed to walk in the front room and see China dishes broken and Mum's eggs still in a dish and all alright.
You know, at that time people had to work, and I was in service a the time. One particular time I had to go out and pick raspberries and the gardener said to me, 'Duck, duck!' and there was one of these horrible doodlebugs coming up the River Thames. The engine cut out, and you didn't know where it was going to land. He said, 'Run for yourself!' and I remember running with this great big bowl of raspberries and falling over and ending up with all the raspberries in my face!
It wasn't a very happy day that day, but we got through it and we had some good laughs. Although there were sad sad times, we did have some good times as well.

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