- Contributed by听
- Anna Jones, Learning Project Manager
- People in story:听
- Grace and Bill Wilson, Alan Abbott and his wife
- Location of story:听
- Streatham Hill Theatre
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A4036934
- Contributed on:听
- 09 May 2005
"This story was submitted to the People's War site by Anna Jones of the 大象传媒 on behalf of Grace and Bill Wilson and has been added to the site with their permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions."
We went to the theatre with our friends to see a Gilbert and Sullivan production. It was in 1946, after the war, and just as the theatres were reopening. We went to Streatham Hill Theatre and we were late for the performance. We went through the drapes and suddenly all the lights coned down us and the audience gave us a standing ovation. In Cockney parlance we felt "right narners". We tured around and there was a grinning Winston Churchill and family.
We made ourselves scarce and sat down for the performance. At the end the audience stood up again as Winston Churchill walked slowly down the aisle. He looked intently from one side to the other until he found our party. He squeezed down between the rows of seats until he reached us and he shook hands with each of us. He apologised for any embarassment he might have caused us. I washed my hands with reluctance for about a week afterwards.
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