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My first wedding anniversary was on 3rd September 1939 — the day war broke out. My husband joined Solihull Fire Service for part time as he worked at the family business that helped the war effort and was therefore exempt from the Forces.

We had a deep brick shelter built underground in our own back garden where we took shelter every night and listened to the bombs dropping over Birmingham and Coventry and over Solihull as my daughter in law living in Wadleys Lane was hit.

One day in 1942 I was in our nursery feeding my baby, my husband was looking out of the window and saw the bombs falling on Solihull.

I still remember the queues we stood in to get food that was not rationed also the queues for shoes and clothing. News went round very quickly that a particular shop had something to sell that was very scarce.

We grew our own vegetables and, with permission from Solihull Council, we were allowed to grow food on the field which adjoined the end of our garden.

We had a neighbour who had a relative in the country who had butter so we were able to exchange our sugar for butter.

I am very sorry that the war caused us not to have children until times got a little safer — to us that was 1942 and 43.

I still remember the night my husband returned from the Fire Service — his blue uniform covered in feathers — he had been on duty to a local house where a bomb had dropped on a feather bed.

When the war ended St Helen’s Road (where I was then living) had a tea party in the road for all the children to celebrate the end of the war.

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This story was contributed by Solihull Heritage & Local Studies Service, Solihull Libraries by kind permission of the original contributor. It was originally contributed to Solihull Heritage & Local Studies Service's collection in 2005 (Ref: NC Solihull Historical: Reminiscences 2005/1).

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