大象传媒

When the war began she was a 16 year old girl, when it ended she was married with a child and living in Arle. She recalls that her father, like so many men took on an allotment to grow vegetables to supplement the meagre rations.
One brother had been called up in the first batch of conscripts before the war started, another was in a reserved occupation and the third was too young, but he tried to do his bit by keeping chickens. All food scraps were saved, mixed with mash to tempt these creatures to lay. What excitement when they heard the first jubilant cackle! Alas the result was an egg no bigger than a pigeon's, but they improved with time. When the chickens became broody, they were destined for the pot. Regrettably her brother's one and only attempt at dispatching the creatures was so traumatic, he was violently sick. The rest of the hens were allowed to die of old age.
When she came to Cheltenham with her daughter in early 1945 to live with her sister-in-law, she had first to register with the grocer, the butcher and the doctor. Food was still very scarce and one day when she opened her bacon ration and found it was crawling with maggots, she took it back to the shop and was told that she shouldn't be so fussy - maggots were nutritious. She was given some other bacon, but wonders who got her maggoty share.
However, the end was in sight and when a friend offered to baby-sit so the two Mrs. Hyetts could go to the Odeon to a matinee, they were glad of a break. The film was Woodrow Wilson with Alexander Knox playing the lead. He was just into an impassioned speech asking for a League of Nations to end all wars, when the screen went blank. A hush fell on the audience and when the manager came on stage to announce that at last the war in Europe was over, the audience went wild. Tears, hugs, kisses, and cheers. The National Anthem was struck up and this time there was no rush for the exit as there usually was. Everyone stood proudly to attention with tears on their faces. The manager then said the film would continue for those who wished to stay. Few did for we all wanted to get home to our families and celebrate.
In the days that followed, larders were raided, precious items were produced and street parties were held all over town. Mrs. Hyett's party was set up on the path in Brooklyn Road and it was lovely to see the children's faces light up at seeing more food than they'd seen for a long time (still no bananas though). A street party was held also in Village Road

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