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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Anne Wareing on behalf of Margaret Coultherd and has been added to the site with her permission….

Clapham 1944 they didn’t know much about the war, life carried on almost normally.

Margaret was a primary teacher until her marriage in 1943, she married a farmer’s son and when he took over the farm she gave up her job as a primary teacher and helped on the farm.

On her wedding day she wore a blue satin backed crepe two- piece and a matching hat trimmed with blue velvet. It cost far too many clothing coupons for a white dress. The reception was held in the Parish Hall,Austwick, as they held a catering license.

They had help on the farm from land-girls and also from German soldiers, who came daily on a wagon from Skipton.

For entertainment they would sometimes a group of them would hire a bus and go to local dances or cycle there if it was near enough. Although cycling in the blackout wasn’t much fun and the bikes didn’t have dynamos, only carbide lamps. These were a type of canister with carbide at the bottom and water on top. The water dripped on to the carbide, and made a gas, which in turn created a bright white light.

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