大象传媒

It was 1940, we lived in a pub in the centre of Manchester called the 'Lass'o'Gowrie'. It was a residential area just off Oxford Rd and Princess St, opposite the pub were rows of back to back houses and a large R.C.Church, St Augustines.At the top of the street was the 'Daily Herald' newspaper offices and a large factory belonging to Dunlop Rubber. On Sunday the 22nd of December I was having my 10th birthday party (myself and my friend Alan Cope) Alan lived at London Road Fire Station where his father was a Fireman.He called us to say there was a 'yellow' alert and Alan was to come home, this was just before half past six.At 6.40 the sirens went.Almost immediately we heard explosions, and I went outside to see if I could see anything. All down the street were intense white fires blazing, these were incendary bombs. My father pulled me inside, and my sister and I went down into the cellar where all the barrels were.The pub had to open at 7'o'clock and we had a few hardy souls in. It soon became obvious that this was no ordinary air raid. Dad closed the pub and decided to stay upstairs in case any incendaries landed on the pub.The air was full of the smell of burning and he went out side just in time to see a parachute coming down. He guessed it was a land mine and almost threw himself down into the cellar. Then there was the most horrendous explosion and the place shook.We heard crashing and the sound of glass breaking.It went on all night, none of us slept.About 6.15 in the morning the 'All Clear' sounded and we went upstairs.Two of the windows and a lot of glasses in the bar were broken, there was dust everywhere.Out side were firemen and rescue workers, it was raining hot embers and was just coming light the smell of fire was overpowering. Lots of the houses opposite were destroyed and only part of the church was standing.People were sat in the street and we started making tea for them.We found that lots of people had been killed in the church where they sheltered in the crypt, and the houses around.My mother decided to make a big 'hot pot'in an enamel washing up bowl for the people.Later I decided I would go and see what had happened and I wanted to go to a big toy shop in Piccadilly called Wiles next to Lewis's store.I tried to go up Princess St but a policeman turned me back as there were still fires burning in Portland St. I tried going along Oxford St but the Princess Theatre was still burning.I finally managed by a number of short cuts to get as far as Woolworths in Piccadilly. What a sight, the whole width was on fire from Portland St to Mosely St, about six blocks.Next to Woolworths was Broadcasting House and the Commisionaire let me use the toilet. He told me of all the places that had been destroyed, the old Shambles, Exchange Station, the Free Trade Hall, Baxendales and numerous warehouses.It was a night to remember. The strange thing was, many years later that I worked at Broadcasting House and then we moved to the New Broadcasting House in Charles St opposite the Lass'o'Gowrie.! The Television managers office was right on the spot where the church stood, and I managed to find a photograph of the smoking ruins. It was quite a talking point and quite a coincidence.!

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