大象传媒

Air raid precautions in the shop were very simple. When the alarm sounded you went towards the back of the shop because two whole sides were plate glass. On the coast we also had "pips" that sounded over loud speakers letting you know that planes were nearly overhead. When that happened, the nearest person locked the front door, a yale, and we went as quickly as possible to the cellar, leaving everything just as it was in the shop.

We had a number of low flying attacks in Hove, but on the Tuesday morning when the gasometer and George Street were machine gunned, the planes appeared out of low cloud and warnings were not sounded. The Manager shouted everyone down, and we lay on the floor behind the shop counter. Unfortunately for one staff member, the cleaner was doing the floor and between them, the bucket of water was knocked over and they had to lay in the water.

With the approach of D Day.- only we did not know then what it was all about - the large houses in the surrounding Ventnor Villas, Norton Road, Denmark Villas were taken over by Canadian soldiers and, while all their food came directly to them, their bacon came in sides. Yes, of course the staff at Liptons would be only too pleased to help bone and slice for you. Just leave it over night and it will be ready in the morning for you. Two nice soldiers brought it to the side door in a jeep and supplied a box to put the completed job in. It did not take two of us long to tackle the task - the knuckles were cut very liberally, after all, we hoped they would not want them. The gammon rasher we cut thicker than usual and on the basis of two for them and one for us. We did very well, thank you, and for a number of months. Then, over night, the source of supply of free knuckle and gammon rashers disappeared without a trace.

One Canadian became very friendly with the girl in the office. She was a year older than me and her father would let her out in the evenings to the Regent Dance Hall and Sherrys - the place nobody talked about, let alone went to.

Another perk that came my way was travel, because as I could bone and cut bacon I went on the holiday relief around the other shop - remember that nobody went far. I needed a permit to go through Portsmouth harbour to Ryde, Isle of Wight and I was 16. I didn鈥檛 think my dad would let me go, but he did. I had never been on a train on my own let alone a boat, but I needn't have worried, because on the end of Rye pier as I got off the boat, the large sign said 'Drink and enjoy Lipton's tea'.

I stayed at Liptons for 7 years,only leaving when the men came back from the war claiming their jobs back. It was hard work but good fun, and work behind a counter taught you a lot about people, because, in those days, there was time to talk!

This story was submitted to the people's War site by Melita Dennett on behalf of Eileen Odom. Eileen fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.