大象传媒

I was 16 when the war started. I had to pick some kind of war work to do, so I decided to go to the factory in Spennymoor. It was quite an upheaval as I'd previously stayed at home to help, as my father and two brothers worked in the mine. When I first started I worked in the central stores, then I went into 'A shop' to work on a bullet making machine. After working on the bullet machine, I went onto work on a variety of machines. I got to work alongside very different people who had very different personalities. I stayed until VJ Day, by which I had been there three years.

The reason I have named this story The Finishing School was because of the experience. I enjoyed my time in the factory, and I had a lot more confidence by the time I left. I made some very good friends in the factory, who I kept after the war ended. A lot of the girls married soldiers and moved away, but many of us stayed up north.

My 21st birthday was a sunday during the war, 13th March 1944, and we had my party in the factory, whilst working. My 81st in Paris was much more fun!

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.