大象传媒

On the day war broke out, the 3rd September 1939, my father, traumitised by his experiences in the trenches in WW1 and convinced that bombs would fall on London immediately, packed me, my mother and the pet wire haired terrier named Java into the car and drove to Sidmouth, Devon. I celebrated my 17th birthday on the 4th!
After some weeks I returned, with my dog, to stay with friends in Harrow, in order to complete my secretarial course at Kensignton College, and begin working on my first job in the City of London in November 1939. My pet, like many animals, was absolutely terrified of fireworks and any other sort of bang, became unwell and had to be put to sleep as were many hundreds, maybe thousands of domestic pets at that time.
Meanwhile, in 1940, the period known as the "phoney war", my parents had returned to our home in Kensal Rise, but in September 1940the blitz began, and I experienced the trials of commuting to the City via the Broad Street line, being turned out halfway, picking your way over the mass of fire hoses as tired firefighters damped down the overnight fires, clambering on to the backs of lorries to reach the City, etc. - and then during the daylight alerts, carrying one's typewriter, heavy in those days, down to the basement to continue working.

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