大象传媒

I was born in 1928 in Ironville and lived with my parents Walter and Doris Allard and my brothers Jack, Frank, Rex and Brian, my sister Maud died in 1939 aged 15 years of apendicitis. My father was a miner at Pyehill pit.

There was not much work in the area for young girls so when I left school at 14 in 1942 I went to work with a friend Peggy Statham, from Pyehill. Peggy worked at British Home Stores in Nottingham and put a good word in for me. I went with my mother on the bus to Nottingham for the interview (one and six return) and was accepted on the spot.

I started work on the music and record counter. Lots of American soldiers came in and asked for dates, Peggy would say see what Mavis says and if she agrees tell her to put a certain record on, then she would know. They would also come in and request certain records to be played especially by their favorite, Bing Crosby, I would play you are my sunshine for them and they would tip all of their loose change on the record player. I was not allowed to accept any money but the manager saved it for me anyway and would return it at the end of the day.

At lunchtimes we would sit in the Market Square to eat our lunch, on one occasion we met a group of American soldiers who needed to get to the American Military Hospital in Sutton in Ashfield, it is now called Kings Mill. It was hard to explain how to get there so they asked if we would jump in their jeep and show them the way. Which we did regardless of the fact that we were only on our lunch break. We dropped the soldiers off and the driver returned us straight back, we did not get into much trouble as Peggy was a supervisor at BHS and sorted it out for us.

We travelled to work by train from Jacksdale to Victoria Station Nottingham. Troop trains were always coming through. Whilst we were waiting for our train home one troop train with English soldiers stopped and all of the soldiers crowded at the windows and asked if I could post their letters for them. I was left with a pile of about 50 letters. I think they were on their way abroad and had written to their loved ones. I dropped them off at Jacksdale Post Office, as it was a collection point for the mail in the area. I had to bang on the back door as it was closed. But they took all of the mail off me, I often wonder how many of those soldiers returned home............

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.