大象传媒

From 1936-1941 I was at Accrington Grammar School under headmaster Dr. Edkins and later under Mr Johnson, although the school had an air raid shelter I can not remember ever being asked to use it. As a reception area for evacuees the town was regarded as fairly safe.
On leaving school I managed to sign up with the Clayton Urban District Council surveyor as an articled pupil which in those days required a payment of 拢25 per year, money which was paid to the Surveyor and not the council.
In my spare time, I worked as a Police Messenger but my services were never called upon.
My training consisted of learning office
routine and attending Manchester College of Technology one day per week.
Travelling was done on the Ribble Bus which ran a very limited service stopping at 5pm.As students we were allowed special rights to board this last bus home providing we in the queue when the bus arrived.
All this time I was playing drums and then piano in a dance band at the local C of E Sunday school where all the young people of the town made up audiences of up to 1200 happy
kids.All innocent of course in those days, the dances continued for at least 15yrs until a skirmish one evening closed it done within 3 weeks, word of mouth had reached parents I suppose.
There was no drinking among the young and walking home in the pitch black held no fears.
Speaking of the blackout, athough a safe town
there was an aircraft factory which the authorities felt should be protected so not only were there no lights but there was also
a smoke screen provided by oil-burners in all the streets.These smoke producers were like a large dustbin with a chimney on top containing crude oil of some type and which were set alight evening by military personel.
I recall the darkness of the nights very clearly, so dark was it, that I recall my father leaving the front door one night and turned the corner at the end of the street before he had arrived there. I can still see his blackeye and bleeding face to this day.
Nobody would attempt to venture ou without a torch on some kind.
The town was also protected by Barrage Balloons
and I suppose this was where the Military Personnel were stationed.

on Saturday evenings

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