大象传媒

When war broke out, I was with the Harlech family in North Wales and instead of returning to London, the family went to their country home, Brogyntyn Hall. I was the scullery maid and was responsible for jobs such as scrubbing the floors, skinning rabbits, preparing vegetables etc. The Harlech family and relatives had the whole of the house to begin with and then part of the house was taken over as a convalescent home for the WAAFS and the ATS. A cook and myself catered only for the Harlech family. We had rationed goods from Duttons but also had homegrown produce for a while, until all the gardeners joined up. We had nettles boiled in place of cabbage and dandelion leaves in salads. I would skin about two dozen rabbits a week to top up the meat ration (and I would then get tuppence a skin form the local taxidermist for them!). Every scrap of food not eaten was put in the 'pig bin' and collected every day for pigswill.
During the war, a stray bomb was dropped just in front of the house in the early hours of the morning. All the pictures hanging on the wall on the servants' landing fell down , except the portrait of Queen Victoria. There was broken glass everywhere.
I was at Brogyntyn for the duration of the war, even after I was married.

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