大象传媒

At Market Drayton YMCA
by Heather Fogg (nee Williamson)

The YMCA cafeteria at Market Drayton was a popular eating place for many service men and women. It was held in the Methodist Church Sunday School rooms opposite the Methodist Church on Shrewsbury Road. A number of local people worked there voluntarily on a rota basis and my father, John R Williamson, volunteered to help on Friday evenings. He was a schoolteacher evacuated to the nearby village of Hales with his school from Manston in Kent and was living at Market Drayton while teaching at Hales. I found this handwritten piece among his papers after his death.

Encounter at the YMCA
By John R Williamson (1899 - 1988)

It was five minutes past ten in the evening and the door of the YMCA should have been closed. The volunteer lady helpers were washing up and I, the only male volunteer present, was giving the tables a final wipe over.

Suddenly the door burst open and in lurched four huge commando types, obviously with too much drink inside them. They loudly demanded beans on toast and when their order was refused, as it was after ten o鈥檆lock, they became abusive and threatened the lady at the counter.

Though obviously scared, she kept her head and shouted to me, 鈥淢ajor, will you turn these men out please?鈥� The 鈥渕ajor鈥� idea was brilliant and I took the cue.

Inwardly shaking I strode up to the men and ordered them off the premises. The biggest pushed his face close to mine and bawled, 鈥� I鈥檒l smash your face in you ---鈥�.

鈥淗ow dare you talk to me like that,鈥� I shouted. 鈥淪tand to attention when you talk to an officer. Get in line all four of you.鈥�

I gave the order, 鈥� Right鈥urn. Right wheel. Quick鈥� march.鈥�

The counter lady opened the door and they were out. We shot the bolts in record time.

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