大象传媒

Linda Collingworth, nee Harlow.
My husband was Captain Collingworth of the Royal Marines and he still is, when we're out on the dance floor! The American marines spoiled the dancing. They used to pick the girls up and shove them around. I didn't like that at all!

I was born in Paisley, in Scotland in 1930. My dad was a coal merchant. All through the war, he kept the fires burning. I think that's how the song came about - "We'll keep the home fire burning, even though we're away from home." That was good!

I was in charge of my dad's office and did shorthand typing - 120 words a minute. I had an office all to myself, and a kitchen.
There was a big pile of coal in the yard, as well as a big pile of sticks that we had for the old folk. Some of them had thirteen children. My dad had thirteen sisters, all of them nurses.

I met my husband in 1946, just after the war and we have been married fifty years.

Paisley was lovely before the war. The town hall was all lit-up with coloured lamps. But when the war came the blackouts started and the ARP men would go round saying "Draw your blinds, missus!"

My dad had sciatica so he didn't deliver the coal himself. He had three men with lorries to do that. He was a great friend of the doctor who would say "You're back here again to see me with your sciatica, Alec". That was usually in winter time.

He had a lovely big horse, seventeen hands high and pure black. One day dad said "Take the horse, you'll be alright" but I fell off the back of it and I was in hospital for about three weeks. I thought I'd broken my back but the x-ray showed it wasn't broken. I made myself walk because I wanted to get back to dad and the office. He used to bring me a box of chocolates on a Friday night. "Here's your pay", he'd say!

He had a beautiful garden and I used to help out there. We grew vegetables and sweet-peas.

I was struggling to play the piano. I played at dances, but not the sort of dances that girls do now! I played Scottish tunes; they were lovely.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Genevieve Tudor of the 大象传媒 Radio Shropshire and CSV Media Action Desk on behalf of Linda Hollingsworth and has been added to the site with Linda鈥檚 permission. Linda fully understands the site's terms and conditions

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