大象传媒

This story is submitted by a volunteer on behalf of radio Bristol Action Desk at city of Bristol college.

It was the 24th of November 1940 and it was my 4th Birthday and all my aunties, uncles, cousins,grandparents had gathered for a party at Dormer Rd Eastville.
We had the Birthday with jelly,sandwiches and sausage rolls. We played games and opened my presents. Suddenly at 6pm everything changed. The sirens sounded and as many of as could squeezed into the cupboarf under the stairs- fun when you are 4 years old, my grandparents however decided that they would try to get to their own home. Which meant walking down muller Raid and eastville park, by then the rais was underway and bombs had started to drop. They ran for shelter in the public toilets at the top corner of the park.Where they remaianed for several hours until the raid ended. This was the worst night Bristol had experienced. My father was part of the AFS, he had to report to his station at Rupert street and we did not know when he would come back. We discovered the next morning that most of the centre of Bristol had been bombed. Fortunately we had all survived

I remember that one day when returning from my grandmothers house, the siren went and the gun "Purdown Percy" started to fire at German planes overhead. Mother started to run with me under the pram and my baby brother tucked inside. A lady called us to her house and we sheltered under the stairs in her home until it was over.

The railway bridge in Glenfrome road near our home was hit, it was believed that there were people trapped beneath the rubble. The local women took turns to mind each others children so that they could dig for survivors. Fortunately no bodies were found.

I remember taking my gas mask to school and picking up schrapnel on the way. The school had a shelter under the playground.

It was exciting as a child, but I was always glad to see my father return home.

Despite the rationing and the damage, we had a wonderful VE day party in the lane behind the house, loads of food, jellies and blanchmange.

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