大象传媒

My earliest memory:
"Mummy, the aeroplanes are playing a game!". Running into the kitchen from the garden of our house at devonshire Way, Shirley I excitedly delivered the news to my mother, who was feeding my baby brother. She came outside, took one look up to the sky, rapidly gathering us both up and taking us to our neighbours'house, where we stayed till my father came home from work.
What I had seen was, in fact, a dog-fight between planes from Biggin hill and the Germans. A year later a German bomb landed in Portland Road at the junction with Sandown Road, South Norwood, and killed my father.
Our house was only half-insured, so it had to be sold, and we went to live with my mother's parents in South Norwood. We used an Anderson shelter in their back garden occasionally, and a Morrison table whilst visiting a neighbour: but during the worst of the raid we went to a large shelter opposite. The atmosphere there was warm and friendly, with occasional forays to the nearby fish and chip shop next to Lawrences' the bakers. I would fall asleep on the bunkbed to the drone of muted conversation sometimes singing.
Later we moved to the tunnels under Riddlesdown. One day when my mother was returning with a shepherds pie she'd gone home to cook, she saw a Doodle Bug fly right across the top of the bus. They provided portable showers in front of the caves - when they called me to come out I was only half-dressed, and the waiting onlookers laughed.
Later, we were evacuated to the Rugby area.
Many more memories- not enough time.

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