大象传媒

It's 1942, I'm 10 years old and Great Britain is still, along with other European Countries in the throes of World War ll, fighting against Germany. Most of the young men and women have joined the services to maintain our freedom.
Throughout the land, wherever two or three adults convene and converse: in the village shop, on the street corner or in the local pub -- ours is the, THE PLOUGH INN -- over a pint of bitter ale, Guinness or a shot of whisky, the subject is the war and how to raise money for the war effort.

Snatches of conversation are imprinted in my mind, "We must do our bit for the country, we mustn't grumble and the sooner this bloody war is over the better I shall like it."
While Gracie Fields sings "Hang out your washing on the Seigfried Line," others say, "As soon as they remove all that there barbed wire from our beaches I'm on me way to the seaside."
"I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside."
As the battles continue and the 大象传媒 News reports the growing list of casualties, sages direct their anger and frustration to former Prime Minister Mr. Neville Chamberlain (1937-1940) "Peace In Our Time,"
Saying "He wasn't aggresive enough at the Munich conference."
1. "Munich Agreement." In (1937) Adolf Hitler invited the French, Italian and British leaders to meet and sign a treaty, which he -- Hitler -- subsequently broke.
While the wise ones go on to say, "We should have listenend to Winston S. Churchill, he warned us."
As the discussions continue, normally benign and honest housewives, including my own mother get caught up in a black-market scheme. They trade tea and coffee coupons for sugar and flour, butter and cheese for sausage and spam. For as Mum said, "One pot of tea will serve 6-7 people and I've always got extra tea coupons, but, I need sugar to make Blackberry jam."
The bartering takes many twists and turns as meat and clothing rations are exchanged for cigarettes, tobacco,liquor and petrol.
Food Minister John Strachey asks us to give up meat one day each week, he also encourages people to plant Victory gardens. We children commit ourselves to the war effort, we each tend a plot of garden, Dig for Victory and grow carrots, lettuce, radishes and tomatoes.
Like Dad and Mum: Laura, Bill, and I each have two government issued ration books, a beige with coupons for tea, Jelly, blancmange, chocolate biscuits, humbugs and liquorice-all-sorts,and a pink one for lots of luverly new dresses, coats, hats and shoes. Mary and Joyce -- the twins -- have green ration books issued to children under 5 years old.
The only fly in the ointment is that even if one has the money the merchandise isn't always available.

There's great excitement at Brook Cottage, even the starlings under the eaves are twittering more, the day a letter arrives from Canada. Mrs. Dickenson a friend of mother's -- she kept mother informed about Uncle Charlie Blunt a World War l. veteran in the Military Hospital in London, Ontario.
Well Mrs. Dickenson wants our parents to ship us children out to Canada for the duration of the war. I'm disappointed when dad says, "We'll tough it out together here in England."
As usual I don't have much choice in the decision making. Besides, if I leave who will take over my responsibility of putting up the Blackouts each evening at dusk?
And so as the war wears on, and each evening we gather round the wirelsess to hear This is the six 0' clock News with Richard Dimbleby reporting. We are required to stand whenever
"God Save The King," comes on the air and to sit and listen to the serious speeches given by H.M King George Vl, Winston S. Churchill and try to make sense of it all. We do our best for the war effort and pray that it will end soon so that once again we can taste some real Wall's ice cream.

Ref: cited.
Goda,Norman J. W. "Munich Agreement.
"World Book On-Line Reference Center. 2005 World Book. Inc,. 8,June 2005
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