大象传媒

I can remember the 3rd September l939, it was a sunny day although everyone was feeling low in spirits, no-one quite knew what to expect, we had an air raid shelter delivered which as put in the wash house and later moved to the top of the garden it mean't that we had to leave the house if there was an air raid, but it was safer than being in the house if a bomb fell on it.

There was a large apple tree near the shelter, which never ever gave fruit, that is until the shelter was put up, then it
fruited really well, which was really good as fruit was in short supply during the war years.

Gas masks were issued to us, and they were really gruesome as they were made of black rubber, but we had to carry them at all times. Identity cards were also issued to us, all of which had a number, mine was FGGH 248/3. Eventually rations books with coupons for obtaining food were issued and you registered with a grocer or butcher for standard rations which were available weekly, other goods such as tinned foods and biscuits were allocated on a points system and the shop assistant cut out the coupons for your choice of goods.

A great memory is that all road signs were taken down, Railway Stations had their signs removed. Black out curtains had to be used, so that no light showed through at night. A train journey at night was quite eerie, as there were no lights, except for the furnaces used in the iron foundries and shipyards, which looked like little bonfires
in the distance.

As the bombing was very regular on Teesside, the decision was taken that we would go and stay with friends of the family in Appleton Wiske, North Yorkshire. As this was 11 miles from Stockton my father would cycle each day to work.

The day I arrived at the village school, a great many evacuees and a teacher arrived from Sunderland. The children were very frightened, as some of them had never visted the countryside, let alone seen farm animals. The little school was full to capacity as it had only two classrooms and children were divided into infants to 7 year olds and 8 years olds until school leaving age.

The village did not have electricity or running water. Water had to be collected in a bucket for the village pump. the lighting was either paraffin lamps or candles, and all cooking was done on the open fire.

I can recollect one day going to Osmotherley for a cycle ride, and when we got there finding a cafe which was open, but oh what a treat homemade bread, butter and jam, my mother talked about it for days afterwards!

My father was in an essential job at the Post Office, where he was a telegraphist with a knowledge of morse code. He later went to Scarborough where he trained Air Crew to use morse code. He came home as often as he could, and as the food supply was better in Scarborough, treats abounded, and we had fruit and sweets mwhcich we could not get a home.

As the war went on, food became scarcer, and it became my job on a Saturday to go from shop to shop queing for food that was available but not on ration. I went to the Pork butchers for sausages and pies, the cake shop for a cake and the greengrocers for was whatever was available the fish and chip shop was my last prt of call where fish and chips for 4 people was 2 shillings!

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