大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People,s war site by Wendy Young on behalf of Gwendolyn Butcher and has been added to the site with her permission she fully understands the site,s terms and conditions. The Guildhall Hotel was situated in Guildhall street Folkestone, wher my father was tenant.
The private apartments were upstairs. I was staying there during part of the war with my two children and their nanny.
There were three bars. The lounge bar wawhere I acted as a hostess to the business men, army officers and RAF personnel. it was like a club.
Father lined the walls of the saloon bar with varnished plywood so that the young pilots that came from Hawkinge and the troops could sign their names.
The third bar was the public bar where one could have a quick drink.
One night the siren went when I was working in the club. The nanny brought the children down and took them down to the cellar, which I had made comfortable. I followed them and we stayed there for an hour.
Some Canadian soldiers who had recently arrived in the country to take up combat, wanted to follow us into the shelter. The barman told them that it was private behind the bar but they didn't take any notice and tried to jump over the counter. One of the sergeants pulled his gun out and shout out "the first man to move over the bar will be shot".

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