大象传媒

This is a story told me by my father, Sydney Brooks (1917-92). He was unfit for military service but was called up into a reserved occupation, and joined the Home Guard. He was a member of the North Staffs regiment and was stationed at Uttoxeter.
He and my mother were from Northampton. When he had a couple of days鈥� leave, he often had to change trains at Rugby Midland, thence to Northampton. At Rugby Midland there was a refreshment room, which he told me was not dissimilar to the one at Carnforth made famous in Brief Encounter. Getting to know the woman who was usually on duty, he always bought ten cigarettes, which were kept out of sight under the counter.
On one occasion it was a different woman. My father asked for cigarettes, and so did two other soldiers who came in soon afterwards, but each was told there were none. ("Don鈥檛 you know there is a war on?") No amount of cajoling could persuade the barmaid that she had any cigarettes to sell them.
All of a sudden the sirens wailed. The barmaid fled into the back room but the three tough men, or liking to appear tough, took no notice until there was an almighty explosion. The Luftwaffe were (he thought afterwards) trying to hit the bridge carrying the Great Central line over the Midland line just outside the station. To bring one down on the other would have caused chaos. As the glass in the windows shattered 鈥� harmlessly enough, being taped 鈥� all three vaulted over the bulky counter to gain the relative safety of the other side.
Hearing the All Clear, they dusted themselves down and returned to the customer side of the counter. The barmaid also returned, took one look behind her counter, and demanded to know what had happened to all the cigarettes.
鈥淲hat cigarettes?鈥� said the soldiers. "You told us you didn't have any." My father's train was the first to be announced and he walked out of the refreshment room with his great coat pockets fatter than they would normally have been. He knew that when the other two left, they would do likewise.

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