大象传媒

We where peacfully in Oswestry,Wales as my father was convalescing after an eye operation.Eveveyone was talking about troubles ahead, and War was eminate. My parents decided we must return to our own home. Three days later war was declared.
It was my 7th Birthday three days later and I was told I could not have a party as the tinned food would have to be kept for emergencies as food was bound to be rationed.
My Mother stocked up all non-perishable foods.candles, soaps,tinned foods,cleaning goods etc. Every thing was in short supply. I think this is why people who had to live through these years of rationing have a tendancy to hoard things and not throw things away in case they needed. Petrol was rationed and only allowed for essential services.
Liverpool was bombed incessantly and Air-raids were a regular occurance.
We used to go into the Anderson shelter in the garden even though it was very damp and not the pleasant of places. My baby sister caught Rheumatic fever through going in this shelter night after night and died in the February before the very bad May blitz of 1941.
We had been to the theatre , and came out to find most of the City large Departmental stores had been distroyed , and the firemen were busy fighting the fires ,we had to be lifted over the fire hoses as they were so very large. We had to walk home along the main roads and we watched the searchlights looking for the planes in the skies. As a child we thought this was quite exciting, especially the Barrack Balloons. we also used to stand in our back porch and watch the planes bombing the ships in the docks. Soldiers used to march to the Pier Head to board the ships to sail away .Many times they lay at anchor in the Liverpool Bay.
We used to be educated in people's homes as our schools had been bombed and there was a shortage of teachers.
My Auntie Flo lost her home one afternoon when she had come to visit my grandma,her home had had a direct hit and when she went home after the air-raid siren had sounded the all-clearshe found not a thing was left they spent the rest of the war living with my grandma and my Auntie.
We had Prisoner's of War camped out on the Aintree Racecourse, and lots of places were out of bounds.
Everyone was effected by the war we used to work on the farms to collect potatoes, Stooking corn etc.We all worked with the Land -girls and enjoyed same.
My Aunties worked in the Ammunitions factories and my Uncles were in the Forces doing their bit to help the War to come to an end. Everyone worked to help each other to go about one's daily business without to many interuptions, Air-raids,incediary bombs etc.
Liverpool managed to survive and is still going dispite all that was thrown at it and its people..

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