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This story was submitted by Alison Tebbutt, Derby CSV Action Desk, on behalf of Geraldine Barford. The author has given her permission, and understands the site's terms and conditions.

For part of the war, my mother (Bertha Pritchard) lived in the very first house at the top of Green Lane. It still stands there, and has, in its time, been an art gallery, but it is now a day nursery. The house is next door to the area of Derby that she told me was known as ‘Little City.’ Apparently this area contained lots of little streets and row upon row of terraced housing. Now, ‘Little City’ car park takes up this land.

The gardens of the house were quite large, so during the war my Gran and Granddad used to keep rabbits and hens in hutches, as a source of meat and eggs.

The trouble was that the animals became pets, and when the day of reckoning approached, my mum didn’t want the chosen creature to be slaughtered.

One of her favourites was a rabbit who gained, I would imagine, the non too popular name of Adolf. He was very friendly, and although it seems he wasn’t too keen on the rest of the family, he had a real liking for my mum. This feeling was very much reciprocated!

Of course, after a time, my Granddad decided that Adolf should become the main course on the following Sunday’s menu, and despite violent protests from my mum, the execution went ahead.

However, she did have the last laugh. Adolf proved to be as tough as his namesake, and my Grandparents, and the rest of the family, certainly did not enjoy their meal.

My mum, being quite a spirited young girl could not resist a gleeful ‘serves you jolly well right’ when the remains of the meal had to go for pig swill…..

I never pass the house on Green Lane without thinking of my Mum, and having a quiet laugh at her one woman fight for ‘Adolf’.

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