大象传媒

The war started about 18 months after I was born so early memories are very vague. I was born in Rugby and my Dad worked on the railway. The uniform he wore was that of an ARP warden.In 1942 my sister was born and that made going to the air raid shelter a bit more of a trek, she was wrapped in a brightly coloured knitted cover granny had made. No plastic carrier bags to cram things into,so holdalls were filled with essentials and were heavy. I have been told that I threw tantrams when we went past Enticotts the corner shop because it was our sweetie shop.Dad decided that we would be just as safe under the stairs or table. It was usually me that had to go under the table.Three things that are printed on my mind are:Standing by the bedroom window watching the flames setting the sky alight almost when Coventry was bombed
A loud explosion which my mother thought was a bomb in our garden. Dad said we wouldn't be there if it was. We found out later it had been a bomb dropped on his allotment. He was not pleased. No vegetables to bring home.
A party we set up after the war to welcome one of the lads from our street back. He ignored us all and walked into his house saying " What about the boys who have not come back."
I had never seen a banana until well after the war was over. Once food started coming back into the shops we still had to abide by coupon allocation, but I remember Mum going on a bus to Northampton to queue for a pork by as a special Sunday Teatime treat.
Those years brought a lot of heartaches but memories can bring out special thoughts of being together and grateful. It certainly was a like having lived in a different time zone from the present day.

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