大象传媒

I was six years old when war broke out. My father became an instructor in the ARP. To train others in rescuing people from bombed houses, I was strapped to a stretcher and lowered from our first floor window to the streets below. I was also lowered from my granny's first floor window this was more difficult as her bedroom had a dormer window. The slope of the roof on either side made access difficult, also her front garden was short with a hedge and the road level was 4 feet below the garden.
The ARP had a corrugated shed, one side could be lowered. For fire training old furniture in it was stuffed with wet straw which was lit. Trainees had to crawl in front from a back door and put out the fire. My father allowed me to have a go. While doing so I sprayed spectators with my stirrup pump hose. My father obtained bones from the butchers which we fixed to bandages with paint and putty to look like broken limbs with bones protruding.
My father worked in tweed mill and was able to obtain offcuts of khaki which my mother made up into a uniform for me. Soldiers were billeted in our town, Selkirk. I would dress up in my uniform and join them for square-bashing drill.

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