大象传媒

Monday was traditionally washday, war or no war and I was no exception.The ritual, this particular Monday was annoying, to say the least.I washed and hung out clothes only for the sirens to go,so down to the shelter I went, leaving the clothes to dry on the line in the alley, out the back.When a couple of bombs dropped harmlessly nearby, the all clear went, I went to finish my washing.The sheets on the line, were black with soot, so I washed them again, hung them out when again the sirens went,back I went to the shelter.When the all clear went,I made my way back home only to find the sheets on the line again covered in soot and me on nights that night fire watching.Later that day when there was no warning, a daring raid took place, where the pilot of a lone German fighter plane flew over Huntcliffe,in Saltburn and followed the Saltburn to Darlington railway till he reached Middlesbrough where he bombed the railway station,just as a train was coming into the station, causing a number of fatalities and injuries and wrecking the station.
On the way home he unloaded a bomb on the rocks at Redcar.Many people were going about their business, unaware of what was happening.Nobody was harmed by the bomb but the repercussions of the blast, which people describe as almighty, sent shock waves across many people homes and many homes were damaged, when ceilings came crashing down.Luckily no one was injured.That was the day nothing seemed to go right but I and the people of Redcar, had a peaceful night.Later in the War, a very unusual and amusing spectacle could be found in the town, which attracted many an onlooker.A house unfortunately, had been destroyed in an attack, while the owners were away.There was nothing left standing of the house except for the bath, which was suspended high in the air, with it's water supply piping still intact, holding it up.

Written with the help and cooperation of Mrs Vera Robinson MBE by Ged Fleming Cleveland CSV (Story Gatherer)

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