大象传媒

Most of our neighbours were of the same generation as my parents and the majority of the young husbands went into the services. My father, being blind in one eye, was seconded to a civil post with the Admiralty because of his knowledge of photographic lenses and optics.
One Friday evening in the spring of 1941, my father had been working late and just managed to catch the last train from Liverpool Street Station to Romford. In his compartment was an airman from Iceland travelling to Southend-on-Sea, Essex. During the journey there was a very heavy air raid and on arriving at Romford an announcement was made that the train would not be able to continue the journey as the rail track had been damaged by a bomb.
The airman was very concerned as to what he should do and my father resolved the problem by inviting him home for the night. My mother must have juggled the food to provide a meal and a most convivial evening ensued. Being only eight years old I had been packed off upstairs to bed ( the Anderson air raid shelter was only installed later). From my bedroom window I was able to watch the Spitfire dogfights with the German bombers as they attempted to drop their bombs on the London docks.
On Saturday morning the airman, no longer being in a hurry to get to Southend, worked with my parents digging in the garden. "Dig for Victory" was the order of the day and the lawn had become a victim of the war effort. By the afternoon it was time to plant the vegetable seeds which they proceeded to do until they came to sowing the carrots. At this point the airman stated there was only one way to plant carrots, which he would show them, but it must be done at night preferably in moonlight.
He instructed them to make cones from newspaper - rather like ice cream cones - and fill them with sifted soil. Three seeds only were to go in each cone. With much laughter they made about fifty cones. After supper I was sent to bed, but at about 11pm I heard noises and went to the window where I could see the three of them planting the cones, amid much laughter, in clear bright moonlight with the blitz and dogfights going on over the River Thames.
Our new friend went on his way after Sunday lunch with much handshaking. Greeting cards would arrive from him throughout the war from all parts of the world, but we never met him again. The carrots when harvested were the most perfectly formed we had ever seen. A very happy weekend during grim times that will always be remembered.

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