大象传媒

My name is Mrs Lottie Wolfendale. I was born on the 2nd March 1925, 1 of twins.
I Lived at No. 1 Station Road, Swinton, Grtr. Manchester We moved when 2 years old to Edgerton Street, Swinton . There were 7 in my family, 3 sisters, 2 brothers. 1 of my brothers died when young. Mother stayed at home, father worked for Swinton Council Building Department. I attended St Peter鈥檚 school until I was 8 years old.
Then to Cromwell Road School (now Swinton High School). I was aware that war was going to happen. I remember friends and neighbours erecting Anderson and Morrison shelters. My father would not have a shelter. I remembered hearing the declaration of war announcement on the radio. I left school at 14 years old and went to work at Old Knowles Cotton Mill in the Card Room for 6 years. It was hard work, noisy and dusty. I used to faint. I was not allowed to leave (finish working in the mill) I had to stay there.

I remember the blackout, my father painted the top of the front windows black.
My father was in the Civil Defence. A Land Mine dropped in Bridge Street, Swinton. My father attended at the scene, it upset him and made ill. I remember him saying 鈥渁ll those dead and injured children, their young life has gone鈥�. I think it makes you understand about war when things like that happen鈥�.

My twin brother joined the Royal Navy aged 17 years, as an Able Seaman, he was killed aged 19years 6 months. I opened the door to the telegram boy (a friend of my brother), I screamed. It took my parents a long long time to come round after that. My mother told me 鈥渄on鈥檛 have any boys, you won鈥檛 rear them鈥�,I had 3 daughters.

I remember food rationing, I would go shopping to Hugh Fay鈥檚 (grocer), Meadow Dairies, Chappel鈥檚 (butcher), Hurst鈥檚 (greengrocers), for my mother (mother had cancer ). I remember listening to Mrs Dale鈥檚 Diary radio program me with mother. From the age of 8 years old I helped to care for my mother who developed Cancer at the age of 36, mother recovered and lived until she was 70 years old.

When bombing started we would sheltered under the table, father said 鈥済o under the table, you have as much chance of surviving than in an air raid shelter鈥�, the table was solid oak. I always carried my gas mask, even when I went dancing, I enjoyed dancing at Swinton Palais, Wednesday and Saturday nights, it cost 2 shillings and 6 pence. My sister married an American soldier 鈥淕I鈥� and lives in America. There were lots of girls because the men were in the forces. My friends and I also went dancing at Pendleton Town Hall. I did not wear makeup and I had long hair and did my own hair in a Sweep hair style. I used to make a skirt out of a dress, the sewing machine had a treadle like a Singer Machine. I repaired clothing and bedding for other people. We also went to the Plaza and Adelphi Cinemas, Swinton. I remember being in the Ellesmere Cinema when an air raid started, were not allowed to leave the cinema, we all started singing until the all clear siren sounded. You couldn鈥檛 let the war prey in our mind, if you did you would have had a breakdown. Once a week, I was one of 6 girls who used to do fire watch duty at the mill, we were paid 2 shillings and 6 pence each, we had to go to work the next morning after fire watching all night

My father kept hens and we grew our own vegetables, we had a greenhouse in which we grew tomatoes and grapes. I helped father in the garden. My father would give neighbours some of the produce. I remember the VE Day party in Grassmere Road, all the children and people were celebrating out in the street. You could do that then because there wasn鈥檛 any traffic.

I remeber that there were 4 or 5 Barrage balloons around the area, they used to frighten me. There was also an Anti Aircraft gun emplacement at the Swinton Fields end of Chatsworth Road, Ellesmere Park. My friends and I would collect the Shrapnel off the roads.

I remember there was 1 Italian prisoner of war in Swinton, he was housed in a room above a stable. I remember that a local family, the Brett鈥檚, their 3 sons were killed. about half a dozen family and friends were killed in the forces. My brother鈥檚 name is on the cenotaph in Swinton. Not all of my friends returned home after the war. Some of the ones that had been Prisoners of war did not live for long after they returned. I remember Tommy Baugh, he started a business selling greengroceries from a horse and cart, it was all he could do, he also died young. Alot of men were dragged down, it was terrible what happened to them. After the war we all said we are going to enjoy life now.

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