大象传媒

Barbara was 8 years old and living on Newbridge Road, East Hull, when war was declared. She had to carry an identity card with her, which she carried in her satchel, along with her gas-mask.

During the air raids, Barbara's mum would've packed a "Buzzer Bag". It would be full of travel rugs, biscuits and boiled sweets. The insurance certificates and important documents would also be kept in the buzzer bag, which would be packed, ready to be grabbed on the way to a shelter, full of things to keep them all going as long as necessary.

Sometimes raids would be quite short but everyone had to be prepared for hours in the shelter.

Barbara's brother John, was born in 1943, during an air raid. As a new born baby, he had to be placed with his mum, under a bed for protection, whilst the bombs were being dropped.

Barbara also remembers going to school and noticing which children did not come back to school after an air raid.

Barbara went to Craven Street school, passed her 11+ and went to Kingston High School, whilst the Craven Street School was closed (when war first broke out).

Two friends and Barbara's mum would take her to the tea dances, where they'd teach her all the old time dances, like the Veleta, the Boston Two-Step, the Palais Glide, St. Bernard's Waltz, the Destiny, the Military Two-Step and the Barn Dance.

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