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5. Telegram June and Travelling Picture Shows

As I had a bicycle with a small saddle bag on it, I used to deliver telegrams for the local postmistress. 6d. A telegram for village houses and 1/- ( shilling) for outlying farms and cottages. Telephones were very few and far between.

The village hall was a focal point for entertainment during the war. Travelling picture shows used to come once a month which was a great treat; shouts going up every time the film broke down. We also had many a social evening with games for the children and finishing up with a live band and dancing.

I belonged to the Girl Guides and the drama group who put on a play every year. Whist Drives and Military Drives were held too. We also had a weekly library in the hall, manned by villagers. The Womens Institute was also active too. Villages became very close knit in those days and talking about knitting, most people used to knit their own socks, gloves, jumpers etc. Even unpicking old knitting and re-using the wool. Wool did not come in balls in those days, but in ‘hanks’ which had to be wound. They were hard days but very memorable.

The V.E. and V.J. Day Celebrations were unforgettable with fancy dress parades, sports, dancing and eating and the whole village enjoying such a sense of relief that it was over.
This story was submitted to the “Peoples War Site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of JUNE GOODWIN and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the site

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