大象传媒

During the war after I left school, I worked in the Co-operative Managers office in Dulcie Road, in Lawrence Hill in Bristol. Here I counted and sorted ration coupons. These were sent in from 89 branches, from all over Bristol and district. But when the bombing started in the town my mother insisted that I got a local job, so I found one in Warmley at Magnet Products who made parts for aircrafts. The local swimming baths were taken over as offices and I worked in accounts and wages.

When I was 16 I joined the local civil defence and volunteered every Friday night from 6-10pm in the (Air Raid Precautions) A.R.P Report and Control Depot. This was situated in Britton House in Stanley Road. The house was very heavily sand bagged; and blacked out at the windows, for protection from bombing. We used to sit in the planning office about six of us altogether. It had a huge map which covered one wall marking out all the local A.R.P depots and contacts.

All was well until the red light flashed on to signal that enemy aircraft was approaching our direction. Four of us had to hurry into adjoining rooms which contained four switchboards. We then had to warn all the local A.R.P depots to be on the alert. They would then send their reports to us which, we in turn handed to the Planning Officer; and he plotted all the incidents on his map so that he had an up to date situation on his board.

Sometimes the raids were still on when it was change of shift at 10 o鈥檆lock and I remember riding home on my bike, to Cadbury Heath about a mile away with the lights shaded, and with the search lights going and the familiar drone of enemy aircraft which seemed to have a different sound to ours overhead. It was very scary and I was very glad to get home to our cottage and take refuge in the cellar.

I still have my A.R.P blue band which we had to wear on our arms.

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