大象传媒

I was 14yrs old and living in Wynchcombe above a grocery shop run by my parents and grand-parents . We sold everything including bread and cakes and were often frequented by soldiers from the Royal Artillery from Newcastle 鈥擴pon-Tyne who were billeted near us. They loved the bread and cakes, and word soon spread, they would come from miles around to buy our bread and cakes 1d a time. We had a small room around the back where the soldiers would sit on benches and drink tea and eat cakes. However this caused great concern to the local WRVS who ran a mobile canteen as we were taking away all there business. One day the Sergeant Major paid us a visit and told us in no uncertain terms to stop selling tea and cakes to the troops.
Unbeknownst to him we had a back entrance to the shop, and at times would close off the shop at the front and the soldiers would come around the back and sit in the room eating cakes and drinking tea as usual.

When I was 16yrs old and working full time earning the grand sum of 13s a week we used to have a half day closing on a Wednesday. Once a call went out for anyone to help pick the crop of peas on the local farm. There were a number of Italian POWs stationed near by and they would often come and help in the fields. We got paid 2s a sack and I could easily pick 10 sacks in 1 afternoon which meant I could earn 拢1 in a day. It was insisted upon that any money I earned I would save a buy National Savings Certificates at 15s each, after 10yrs they would be worth 拢1. WOW!

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