大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the People's War website by Liz Andrew of the Lancshomeguard on behalf of Jean Preedy and has been added to the site with her permission.

I was eleven years old when the war started and was evacuated from Manchester to Oswaldtwistle. We had to write home and I remember the teacher had to write the name Oswaldtwistle on the blackboard because nobody could spell it! By Christmas we'd all gone home again - At this time it was still the Phoney War.

Then came the Blitz and I remember that if the All Clear had sounded before midnight, then we had to be in school at the normal time the following morning; but if the All Clear sounded after midnight then we could go in a bit later - I think it was at 10 o clock in the morning!

My father had been in the First World War and had turned forty so he was not called up. Our rations were very little but I don't remember much hardship. I never felt hungry and everybody was in the same boat. My mother kept producing food - usually whatever was in season - we had stewed rhubarb till we were sick of it.

By the time I was sventeen I was keen on dancing and I remember going to the Ritz Ballroom in Manchester. If a Black American asked a girl to dance, you'd never accept. You'd get a bad name. You'd see them coming and dive. We'd never seen black people before and the people we were with would say, "If you dance with a Black GI, no one else will dance with you. You'll only ever have black partners."

It was terrible - I am so utterly ashamed now.

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