大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by CSV/大象传媒 Radio Nottingham on behalf of Constance Memmory (Connie) with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions"

Our family lived in Derby 鈥� my mother, father and younger sister, Peggy. My father was a Bandsman in the 5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, so was called up before the war in August 1939, but he was eventually sent back to do essential war work on building sites when London was bombed, where he was sent. My brother, Geoffrey, was born in 1941.

When the war was declared in September 1939.I was attending the Homelands German School for Girls in Derby. The air-raid shelters were placed on the playing fields and a Barrage Balloon appeared on the front lawn of our school complete with soldiers, which of course caused quite a lot of curiosity and excitement. We carried on with our studies as usual and when the sirens sounded we walked in lines to our respective shelters complete, of course with our gas masks. The shelters were long with bench seats each side.

When I left school I trained at a local Secretarial College and then worked in the Town Clerks鈥� Officer. I travelled by bus each day. The buses were absolutely packed, every seat taken and the centre gangway was full with standing people. Life just went on in spite of lack of clothes, because of clothing coupons, and less food. Everyone went about their business as usual. They were working or queuing for anything in short supply even if they didn鈥檛 know what was at the shop-end! If the sirens sounded then it was off to the nearest shelter.

I joined the Women鈥檚 Junior Air Corps with my friend Pauline. The Meetings were held at Orchard Street School (which is no longer there) and then at St. Johns Church Hall. We were drilled, marched, lectured, on how to recognise different aircraft and their sounds, map reading etc. We also attended church Parades and performed in the Market Place with all the Armed Forces Units, giving various displays for the public. We were in uniform (air force colours) and I was eventually promoted to Warrant Officer.

We also joined the Pear Tree Youth Club where we enjoyed various activities and interests and the evening always ended with a dance.

The cinemas were open all the time, even in air-raids, with three different programmes per week. My boyfriend, Ray was in the Royal Navy and if he came home on leave unexpectedly, suddenly my name would appear across the bottom of the screen telling me to go to the Foyer where, Mr Hall, the manager of the Cavendish Cinema, would meet me and tell me that he had a surprise, and of course, Ray would be there! In spite of the queues in the Foyer, Mr Hall asked the Usherette to find seats for us 鈥� Ray did not have to pay at all.

This era was 鈥渕y dancing days鈥� at the Plaza Ballroom. Sammy Ramsden, the Proprietor, ran coffee, tea and Evening Dances. What a wonderful time we had, as all the Big Bands and Singers came to the provinces and we danced to them all at the Plaza. We then had to walk home as the buses stopped running at 9.00pm, but we had to be very careful not to fall over the oil drums on the pavement edges or bump into the walls which were built over the cellar gates! We were literally choking if the smoke screen was on from the oil drums. We all worked very hard and played hard. I was consequently engaged to Ray in 1945 and we were married in 1947.

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