大象传媒

Chapter 35 Making Music

Another friend, Rowland Hammond, had a love of brass band music as indeed I did.

We met at 鈥楴umber Ten鈥� to make music in a simple way playing recorders we had made at school, other times playing the paper and comb. This made a sound similar to the bazooka,at least that鈥檚 what I think they were called. A small tin pipe with a mouthpiece and a hole the size of a farthing on the top covered with a fine mesh. By blowing through the mouthpiece a buzzing musical note would sound. I had an instrument called an ochorino, not sure how that is spelt.

It was made of china clay and 鈥楲鈥� shaped. It was played like a simple flute. It disappeared. Later I found out that Ma had visited 鈥楴umber Ten鈥� looking for a hammer and saw this instrument and thinking it was made of metal used it to hammer a nail. It never survived.
Roland and myself would strike up with 鈥楤laze Away鈥� and similar stirring marches attempting to harmonize, our feet tapping out the rythmn . This went on for hours. We thought it sounded so good. I doubt that it did! We enjoyed it and that鈥檚 what really matters. Later Rowland took up music seriously and played in a brass band. Lucky him!

Chapter 36 The Concert party

Whilst Ken and myself were away at Wiveliscombe Ma and Freda had joined a concert party
to entertain the troops. Ma played the piano and Freda sang and tap danced. Ma was always being asked to play for choirs and functions.
If you played the piano you were always in great demand. We travelled with the concert party to Army, Navy & Airforce camps to entertain the troops. Also Fire Stations etc.鈥�

鈥淏ig Bertha鈥�,Bristol鈥檚 famous gun, was based at Purdown and regarded with affection by the citizens of Bristol. When it was fired the enormous bang would be followed by exclamations like, 鈥淭here goes Big Bertha ,Good luck鈥� Referring to the possibilities of shooting down an enemy aircraft.

I doubt whether it was ever successful but it was a great moral booster to the people of Bristol.

The concert party performed at this base too. The players were much appreciated everywhere they went. We loved listening to Ma and Freda being clapped and cheered. We were very proud of them.

I think the group were called 鈥淭he Waverleys鈥� The loudest clap was saved for the female singer Doris. Her of the big boobies!! She did have a lovely contralto voice and you could see where it came from!!

The concert group used to 鈥榖lack up鈥� for some of the numbers. Politically Incorrect these days! Cecil the leader, played the banjo and sang. He was well received as was Sid with his accordian playing and monologues of鈥� 鈥楢lbert and the Lion鈥� and 鈥楽am, Sam, pick up thee musket鈥� made famous by Stanley Hollaway.

Freda at a very young age also performed at the Bristol Hippodrome. singing and tap dancing.
I wanted to tap dance too. Freda would show me the basic steps, heel toe tap etc. I never did get the hang of it. I would still love to be able to tap dance!

Chapter 37 The Radio

The war was now going well for the British and Allies. We listened on our Cosser radio to 鈥楲ord Haw Haw鈥� a Nazi sympathiser broadcast doom and gloom for Britain. He was quite accurate with his predictions, broadcasting that the German bombers would raid a named city that night, which became a fact.

He also broadcast the damage caused during the raid the following day which indicated there were German spies about to have this knowledge.
Spies were known as 鈥楩ifth Columnists鈥� There was a saying ,鈥滸irls sleeping in four poster beds beware of the fifth column鈥�.

Again loaded with innuendo. Lord Haw Haw was a figure of ridicule. People tuned in just to laugh at him. Now that is odd.

Our radio worked by battery and an accumulator which had to be taken to the shop, Shattocks in the Causeway Fishponds, to be recharged on a weekly basis. This service cost sixpence or to Ma, one piano lesson. The radio had huge valves which were silver and shone like Christmas baubles.

The radio was the mainstay of our entertainment that is when Ma wasn鈥檛 playing the piano.We listened to all the shows 鈥� In Town Tonight鈥� , Tommy Handley鈥檚 鈥淚tma,鈥� 鈥淗appydrome鈥�, 鈥淕illie Potter鈥� 鈥楽peaking to you in English鈥� was his catch phrase, Rob Wilton 鈥淭he day war broke out my missus said to me-鈥�- His catch phrase and many other great shows.

After the war Rob Wilton tried to make the transition to television but wasn鈥檛 successful like many other artists. Similar to the change from silent movies to talking pictures.
These programmes were spirit raising as were the singers of the day, Vera Lyne in particular. Everyone loved her. She was called the Forces Sweetheart she was in fact, everyone鈥檚 sweetheart and you felt she was singing just for you.

.Chapter 38 Paper rounds

My brother, sister and myself all had paper rounds morning and evening. Seven days a week
Yes, we were allowed to work on a Sunday. Getting up early every morning come rain come shine and straight to the paper shop from school to do the three rounds. At Christmas most of our customers would give a small 鈥楥hristmas Box.鈥� Some would donate a penny others a whole shilling.

The rounds were large and the paper bags heavy. Ma collected a percentage towards the housekeeping . Some of this was later used to buy a bicycle. We were going up in the world.
My first bike had a large frame and 28鈥� wheels. To ride it I had to put my leg through the frame avoiding the crossbar as I couldn鈥檛 reach the saddle. Later Ma bought us new bikes. Mine had a back- pedalling brake. Quite advanced for it鈥檚 time. We are growing up fast and the Yanks were over here.

Chapter 39 The GIs

American servicemen were everywhere. White, brown and black.

Smart uniforms, plenty of money,candy, chewing gum and of special interest to the girls, nylon stockings and chocolate.

They also had the 鈥榞ift of the gab鈥� and transport, usually Jeeps. This made them irresistable to most girls and caused resentment with the local lads and our own forces who were no match for the Yanks with their rough khaki uniforms and low pay.
Our lads could match them at war but not on the courting scene. Numerous fights broke out between our 鈥楽quadies鈥� and GI Joe as the Yanks were also known.

America had entered the war in December 1941, late as usual. The same as World War1 . It is likely that Britain standing alone against the Germans, Italians and later the Japanese would have lost the war so we should be grateful to the Americans for that.

The Yanks became prey for kids who followed them calling out 鈥淕ot any gum chum 鈥� knowing we would eventually wear them down especially if they had a girl or two on their arm ! We were interrupting their romantic prospects, putting it mildly.

They would throw a packet of gum at us as a bribe to clear off which we did until the next Yank came along.

In most dark corner, and there were plenty of these due to blackout restrictions, a Yank could be found kissing and canoodling a girl or worse!!

Girls that dated Yanks became known as 鈥淕old Diggers鈥� and were shouted at as they passed by.

I had a crush on Joan Fox who lived opposite. Joan was a few years older than me and I tried to impress her with my agility, running, jumping and generally showing off, all to no avail as she succumbed to the chocolates and nylons and became a 鈥楪old Digger鈥�. Uncannily, I was to marry a girl who looked just like Joan Fox. When my parents met her the first thing they said was ,鈥滻sn鈥檛 she like Joan Fox?鈥� That pleased me.

When the Yanks finally left our shores there were a lot of new babies around, many were black and this wasn鈥檛 easy for the stranded, usually unmarried mother. This was a stigma and must have been difficult times for the mothers. Some of course did follow their men back to the USA and made a go of it but not many I fear.

Chapter 40 The Blackout

During the war strict regulations were enforced including the Blackout. This meant severely restricting lighting. Most street lights were gas lit. These were lit by a man with a long pole. He was known as the lamplighter. Which reminds me, there was a man who would call at your home on request to give an early morning call for work. He would knock on the bedroom window with a long pole!

The tops of lights were capped to reflect the light down so as not to be seen from above by enemy planes. All households had shutters to place against the windows to stop any light shining out. The glass was criss-crossed with sticky tape. This was to reduce glass splinters from flying if broken from blast.

Vehicle headlamps also had caps with just a small slit to allow a narrow beam of light to show. You can imagine the streets were a dark place to be.

There were times though when the whole area would be illuminated but not welcome. This occurred when enemy aircraft dropped flares attached to parachutes. This was done to give the bomb aimers a better chance of finding the target.

Wardens patrolled the streets and the familiar call could be heard if they spotted a light shining through a window. 鈥� Oi! Put that light out!鈥�

Chapter 41 The Vandyke Cinema

Ronnie Pow a ginger- headed lad was another close friend. His father served as a CPO on board HMS Illustrious an aircraft carrier based in the Pacific waging war against the Japanese.
He hadn鈥檛 been home on leave for several years.
On a visit to the Vandyke Cinema, Fishponds Road we watched the Pathe News which featured a Japanese suicide aerial attack on the 鈥淚llustrious鈥� Huge holes were blown in her flight deck and hundreds killed.

It must have been awful for Ronnie watching this film not knowing if his father had been killed or not. His father did return home eventually undamaged, at least on the outside.

As I have mentioned the 鈥榁andyke Cinema鈥� perhaps a few lines about this place of entertainment should be included. As children our pocket money was twopence halfpenny a week.

Twopence to get into the Vandyke Cinema every Saturday and one halfpenny to buy a quarter of sweets or a bag of broken biscuits. The cinema was known as the 鈥楾upp鈥檔y Rush鈥�.

A large queue would form very early with much pushing and shoving. The doorman would try to keep order. When the doors opened he allowed a dozen or so in at a time.

Films were usually black and white and more often than not included a cowboy picture.
Tarzan was another popular filmstar and of course, Laurel and Hardy and Old Mother Riley with daughter Kitty.

The noise the kids made, shouting and screaming, fighting too! causing the Manager to put up the house lights ,stop the film and announce that the film would not re- commence unless we were quite. We obeyed and kept quiet.
The film started again and so did the shouting.! The session ended with a cowboy serial,鈥� To be continued next week鈥� Buck Jones, Hop- Along Cassidy and Gabby etc. We couldn鈥檛 wait to see what happened the following Saturday. On the way home we galloped on our imaginary horses, shot each other calling out,鈥� Bang! !You鈥檙e dead鈥�!!

Films were categorized as A B and X. No person under sixteen was allowed in to see some of the films unless accompanied by an adult.

It was common practice for under-age children, including myself, to ask an adult to 鈥淭ake us in mister鈥� Some would, some wouldn鈥檛. If it was a courting couple they might agree on condition you didn鈥檛 sit with them!!

Chapter 42 VE Day

The war in Europe was over. Victory was ours as promised from the start by our great leader and Prime Minister, Lord Winstone Churchill or as he was known more affectionately as 鈥淲innie鈥� A familiar sight with his bulldog looks, famous cigar and all-in-one siren suit of a dark brown colour. The people of Britain copied his style as the siren suit was practical and warm.

This man was an inspiration to the British people which made them determined not to give in to the enemy despite the terrible hardships suffered. His speeches are memorable and will go down in history as some of the best ever.
The war in the Far East continued against the Japanese.

The victory over Europe was a good reason to celebrate. Street parties were organized with trestle tables and chairs being set out in the streets. Buntings of flags were tied across the street and a large bonfire prepared.

Celebrations would go on far into the night.
Food and drinks filled the tables as if by magic considering the rationing restrictions.
The children sat down and the adults moved around the tables trying to keep some sense of order. As the light faded the men lit the bonfire on top which sat an effigy of Adolf Hitler the most hated man in the whole world. As the flames consumed him great cheers rang out and the music started. Ma鈥檚 piano was dragged into the street . Ma played all the well know songs of the war years including those made popular during the first World War. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a long way to Tipperary鈥� 鈥淩un rabbit ,run rabbit run run run鈥� and the like.

Potatoes were placed in the fire and racked out when cooked. It all seemed so wonderful. There were sad moments too as most people had lost a member of the family or relative during the war. They were temporarily forgotten at this time but not for long.

The laughing, drinking and dancing went on to the early hours.

Next morning the bonfire was still smouldering. Some boys were trying to coax it back to life kicking at the embers but it was all over. The war wasn鈥檛.

Chapter 43 The Far East

The Japanese had entered the war siding with the Germans. A big mistake as they chose to pick on the Yanks at Pearl Harbour. Their huge armarda sailed into firing range of Pearl Harbour launching bombers from aircraft鈥攃arriers. The unsuspecting Americans had no chance to fight back. Pearl Harbour was doomed. The American Eagle had its feathers ruffled and was now hell bent on revenge. The whole might of the country would now wage war on Japan.

The Japanese were fanatical fighters and loathed even more than the Germans. Both these nations would go down in history as committing the most terrible crimes of mass destruction of human beings.

It was to be another long, hard battle. That is until the atom bomb was used.

An awesome, frightening weapon. So powerful that it could destroy a large city within seconds and fill the air for hundreds of miles with radiation which would have long term effects on any living thing it contacted.

The first atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshimo from an American fortress, a huge bomber. Witnesses aboard included our own Leonard Cheshire VC. The scene of destruction was beyond comprehension and had a profound effect on all who watched this event that day.
Leonard Cheshire VC. was moved so much that it changed his life and after the war dedicated all his time looking after disabled servicemen and women setting up homes for them
These are called the 鈥楥heshire Homes鈥�.

It took one more atomic bomb to crush the Japanese. This was dropped at Nagasaki three days later with the same terrible result. The Japanese surrendered unconditionally. This was against all their principles and many of the their forces took their own lives rather than surrender.

The war was over. The task of bringing the prisoners of war home was just beginning and as in Germany, the atrocities committed were unveiled to a disbelieving world. That is another story.

Celebrations took the same form as the Victory in Europe. Street parties and the joy of surviving such adverse times. It was time to rebuild, not only the buildings but lives.

The servicemen were demobbed and given a new suit and that was the end of their war.
Now they had to find a job as everything had changed. Most factories had converted the equipment to build war machines and ammunitions. Technology had moved on and they would have to adapt to new skills. Women had found a new freedom doing work traditionally carried out by men. They would have to adapt too. Life had changed forever.

Many men found it hard to adjust to civilian life missing their pals and the comradeship.
To some their children were strangers. Some had additional children which wasn鈥檛 theirs!
As for me, well, at the age of fourteen I took up a seven year apprenticeship as a lithographer.

At the tender age of fourteen I was now a man.

Don Shipton December 2003

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