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Continued from Part 2 — ID 6235599

A number of things stand out in my memory of those days: the seemingly never ending arousals from sleep to go to the shelter; food and everything else shortages; fighting the Germans in our back field — hoying clemmies of pulled up corn stalks at each other; the big war map of the world on one wall, with the tiny flags of Allies and Axis armies, but most of all the very strong community spirit in Downside Road.

As children we were surprisingly aware of most things going on around us. Listening to the news on the radio would be a most important affair, with all activities suspended while we listened to the progress or otherwise of our men overseas. The fun side of the wireless were programmes such as Dick Barton — Special Agent and Itma.

Downed by a Tommy Gun

I would be asked uncomfortable questions about why my dad wasn’t in the army; there seemed to be a sort of stigma attaching. He worked 12 hour shifts at the steelworks, was a firewatcher and also in the Home Guard. Periodically he would arrive home in uniform with his weaponry, which would be stored in the front room — out of the way of prying eyes and little fingers. I was always fascinated by his bayonet and didn’t really understand why I shouldn’t be able to play with it. One day, in a hurry, he didn’t close the front room door properly; too good a chance to miss and I sneaked in. Not just was there a rifle (boring I thought) and the much sought after bayonet, but a Tommy Gun, a real Tommy Gun! Well, I couldn’t get at the bayonet out, so I picked up the Tommy Gun. Actually I couldn’t pick it up as it was far too heavy, nearly being as big as me, and I toppled backwards whence it pinned me to the floor. I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t move, and had to swallow my pride eventually and shout for help. I can’t remember what the punishment was, but I never sneaked in there again.

Pink Bread Buns

Food shortages were such that families would often swap clothes coupons for food coupons and pool resources particularly for birthday parties. We would always start with jelly and blancmange, occasionally fruit, and sometimes evaporated milk would be poured on. It was essential to have a minimum of one slice of bread and butter with this and cake eating was not permitted until after this. Our mothers would all have their specialties and my mam’s was cake baking. A lady called Mrs Murray made bread buns; these had very hard crusts and a sort of pinkish hue. The addition of a sliver of spam made them highly desirable to us kids — the adults thought they were awful.

Wild Horses

My Dad Edwin was keen on photography so there is plenty of pictures taken at that time gracing our family albums. While our finances would not run to a cine camera he was occasionally able to borrow a projector and films so my fourth birthday party was special with cartoons and also a Western that included scenes of rounding up a herd of wild horses. One little lad got up and peered round the back of the screen to see where they were coming from. There were Saturday morning films showing in Middlesbrough so me and Arthur would be given the occasional treat of 2d (old pennies) for the return ‘M’ bus-fare from Levick Crescent to what we called ‘The Bus Exchange’ on Marton Road, and 3d each for entrance money. As well as Westerns and cartoons there would be a Buck Rogers serial. If any kissing went on in a film we would whistle, boo and hiss and stamp our feet. Nonetheless a film showing at home was a rare and precious experience and the other kids assumed we must be rich, therefore..

Our Neighbours

My particular little friend was called Tom Byrne who lived across the road with his parents Eve and Johnny and a half brother Brian. Near neighbours were ‘uncle and auntie’ Hughie and Doris Mitchell who had a daughter Sylvia who was older than Arthur and I. Marie Black and family lived down the road and Jimmy Hannaford opposite and further up towards Levick Crescent. Other families were the Pooles with two daughters, Dorothy and elder sister Audrey who was close to my Aunt Freda’s age, Dougie Roberts and there were the Netttletons and Cloughtons in Downside Road too.

We moved from Downside Road to 116 Cambridge Road before I was five years old where we lived opposite the Common where the Cambridge Hotel now stands and it was there that we eventually celebrated VE and VJ days.

I don’t think of the early war years as being the best years of my life, but I have a lot of vivid memories of those days, and many of them are happy ones.

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