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"This story was submitted to the site by the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Peoples War Team in the East Midlands with Ivy Belamy's permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions."

I was a land girl during the war.

I had a three wheeler cart, a bit like a traditional ice cream cart. While walking with it I came across a bit of a slope going down a bit. There was a load of land army girls coming towards me on their bikes. I was coming down the hill with no breaks. I skittled them all over!

I used to work with horses and German prisoners of war. I got on alright with the German prisoners. When we used to have to get the hay in we’d be at it until midnight and we used to get so dry we had to drink water out of the Trent.

I learnt loads of different skills. I did enjoy it, I had worked on the land before but it was really good.

As well as working on the land I even had the chance to show the horses and came second during Collingham Show.

I was once working in a field when a farmer told me to spittle the carrots. I didn’t have a clue what he was he meant. I was there pushing the spittle along a field with my hand in my pocket whistling away happily. The farmer went past and saw me and brought me another spittle as an act of sarcasm. The farmer was quite nice about it.

I used to bike to Swinderberry to go to the dances at the barracks there with the airmen. The dances were quite nice. I made a date with two blokes at the same time once, forgetting about the other. I had told them to both meet me off the bus – they did and as I’d forgot I had to duck down to stop them seeing me.

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