- Contributed byÌý
- Peoples War Team in the East Midlands
- People in story:Ìý
- Sophia Cowley (nee Wesley)
- Location of story:Ìý
- Nottingham
- Background to story:Ìý
- Civilian
- Article ID:Ìý
- A4808612
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 05 August 2005
"This story was submitted to the site by the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Peoples War Team in the East Midlands with Sophia Cowleys permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions."
I was 17 years old when the war broke out. I lived in Friar Street at Old Lenton. We lived in a row of 8 houses and our back yards were divided by a wall, 4 houses on each side. After the war had started the council decided to build an air raid shelter in each back yard. They were just plain brick buildings with seats around the walls. When the sirens sounded we all went into the shelter. We took blankets with us to keep warm, especially if it was during the night. We were all really glad when the ‘all clear’ sounded and we could go back into the house. We could tell when it was the German planes coming over, as we got used to the sound of their engine noise as they were different from the RAF planes. At the end of the war, the council men came and demolished the shelter.
During the first years of the war I worked at Players in the old building on Alfreton Road. The machine department were the cigarettes were packed into packets of 20 was on the top floor. The machines were very noisy but we could hear the loud speakers playing the workers playtime programme. When the sirens went off the music changed to the posthorn gallop. The machines were switched off and we all had to go down to the cellars beneath the factory. We stayed until the all clear was sounded and then we went up three floors back to the machine room. Sometimes this happened more than once each day and we were pleased when we had a clear day.
Another memory is when we went to the pictures. If the sirens went someone would announce it and we could go out and stay in as we pleased. During the showing of ‘Gone with the Wind’ the sirens went twice, but as far as I can remember no body moved.
At night we would have to be careful that the blackouts were in place, or the warden would come knocking on the door to tell us to make sure no lights could be seen.
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