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Name Mary Godfrey
Interview Date 21st April 2005
Subjects covered Rationing, War Work
Location Oxford, Radley
People Included Mr George Morris,

This is an edited extract of a recorded interview conducted by Museum of Oxford with Mrs Mary Godfrey. It has been submitted to the People’s War website with her permission. A full version of the interview transcript and audio recording will be available at the Centre for Oxfordshire Studies.

Rationing
Well you had to have what was going because there was rationing you see I can remember they would tell you oh so and so is getting cakes in today or the butchers getting liver today and you knew and you were there quick and your were in a queue to get these little bits and pieces … cakes there’s a ... well its finished now its out out by Foxbury Road out by Radley that was a bakery and then you would hear oh they're giving the cakes out today there's going to be cakes out on sale I'd cycle again and I'd go all the way out to Radley and bring two cakes back used to have to do it like that years ago

War Work
Mr George Morris … And he said well you know her husband was a prisoner of war and it upset her mind. And he said I'm asking you if you'd take the job on and go up up in the crane. I didn't really want to do it but he said oh come on I know you can do it so he got me up these steps up high and there was four levers you had to use four levers and that and I cottoned on to that ok and I was about 26 then and I knew what I had to do take these tanks up the line on big heavy chains and one day I I remember having a good telling off because I was being a bit clever in my little way and I was speeding a little bit too fast and he beckoned to me and he said don't you ever let me see you do that again and I said well I do no harm he said you could have done he said those chain could of snapped and those men down underneath you could of killed them but I couldn't really cause those chains were so thick and heavy but he had to give me a warning you know but it was happy days and I I really enjoyed them and we all had good times together you know ….

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