大象传媒

This story has been put on the website by 大象传媒 Radio Cornwall Action volunteer, Olivia Davey, on behalf of the author Jean Winnan who understands the site鈥檚 rules and regulations.

Sunday: Sept 3rd: - 1989.
A day for remembering

Yes 50 years ago today WAR was declared. Britain was to go to war against Germany and so began 6 years of anxiety, self sacrifice, sorrows, and eventually joy and jubilation.
I remember the day well. New鈥檚 had come to us over the (wireless) or radio has it since been christened! Within minutes of the announcement a neighbour from across the street- (Myra Abel) came running over. Have you heard it, have you heard it she repeated almost hysterically. She had a large family 鈥� 6 children and a sick husband her deep concern was understandable. The weeks that followed saw the removal of all the wrought iron gates and railings that surrounded each garden on the 鈥淕len View鈥� 鈥� council estate where we lived. We being our Mum & Dad 鈥� Muriel & Leslie Bolitho, my sister Eunice 鈥� my brother Colin and me.
Next came the delivery of the AIR RAID SHELTERS 鈥� there were two kinds namely ANDERSON & MORRISON shelters. We had an indoor one for which we had to forfeit our comfortable old wooden kitchen table. This shelter had a sheet metal top with a metal mesh around the sides fortified with heavy metal girders at the corners and base. This meant one had to sit sideways to it. We children didn鈥檛 like it very much, it was both cold and very uncomfortable. Mum later put a double mattress on the floor under it, so that when the siren warned of an air raid at night us children could climb in and continue our sleep. Dad also 鈥渟hored up鈥� the cupboard under our staircase. At the back of this was placed a large galvanized bath on its side. Into this was laid a pillow and a single mattress just the width of the cupboard was laid on the floor. We often used this 鈥渟helter鈥� as we somehow felt safer in it. Our Dad had joined the Part Time Fire Brigade, as had Jim Pellow who lived across the street and Ernie Jewell who lived 2 doors away and John Rickard who lived in the road behind ours. When the sirens went so did the 鈥淔irebell鈥� which was fixed in our staircase 鈥� the noise was deafening. We would all leap out of bed, and each of us had a special duty to help get Dad out very quickly. One would fetch his heavy black leather reinforced boots, and his belt and axe, another his helmet, and of course his uniform with heavy overcoat. The uniform was always laid out over the foot of the bed each night in readiness. Soon the dreary hum of the 鈥淛erry planes鈥� could be heard then the sound of the ack ack and the falling incendiary bombs would light up the whole place with the orange glow of the fires they caused.

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