大象传媒

This story is by Connie Bentley

From Walkley, after being bombed, we went to live in Rock Street, Pitsmoor.

There were air raid shelters on an area that had been bombed on the corner of Marcus Street and Fitzallan Street. There was a water tank which I remember a lad fell in - one of our neighbours, Mr Tommy Comer jumped in to save him.
On Rock Street there was vicarage which had been bombed and underneith there was a reinforced shelter which lots of people used - including the vicar.
I went to Pye Bank School by the side of which was a barrage balloon then for a very short while I went to Pitsmoor Church of England school and from there to Burngreave Middle School - the headmistress was a Miss Yates a Scots lady.
My mother worked at the cabinet company at the top of the Moor, all the men had gone to war so they employed women. They made amunition boxes and boxes for Bevin boys (for their clothes at the pit). After the war all the women were finished and the men came back, Incidentaly my mother Mary Bentley was the last woman to leave.
One day I went to see Mother at the factory with my sister and began to feel ill. I went into Lodge Moor hospital and was there for three months with diptherea, there was an epidemic of diptherea and measles at the time. I remember we were never allowed to get bathed in more than three inches of water. Mother and Dad came every Sunday to see me and in those days it was a long way from Pitsmoor to Lodge Moor.
I remember going to the Don Picture Palace, the Whicker and the Collaseum.
On VE day Marcus Street had a big party but we weren't included so we had our own in our yard. I remember the big fire and everybody contributed food which was still on ration but it was splendid - we all had plenty of everything. We cut down a couple of trees for the firewood and I remember Mr Gregory, who must have been in his 80s, dancing round the fire in his combination underwear looking like a ghost. Of course there was plenty of booze.
I remember my first banana after the war. My sister and I, together with Earnest White, Brian Chapman, Pat Burk and a few more all sat with bananas in our hands - wondering how to open them. My uncle Tom (mi Tommy), he was few years older than me, came down the entry on his bike, "Come here, I'll show you!" And he broke my banana in two. I've never forgiven him!!

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