大象传媒

This story has been submitted by Margaret Payne of the Lancashire Home Guard on behalf of Mrs Betty Clegg and has been added to the site with her permission.

DANCING TROOP

During the war, I worked in Harris鈥檚 Hat and Cap factory in Glasgow where they made Forage caps. Because of my job, I was exempt from joining the forces. I had to join the ARP and go on fire watching duties. One day, I was on my way to the air-raid post because of an alert 鈥� Glasgow was being bombed 鈥� a railway goods depot was a particular target, and I was outside the Glasgow Royal Infirmary near the Cathedral, when I was lifted off my feet with the force of a bomb that had dropped nearby and ended up in that hospital with a broken arm!

I was also in a dance team, demonstrating dances such as the Lambeth Walk, and in the most famous ballroom 鈥� Barrowland. Maggie MacIver started off Barrowland by allowing others to show their wares there and eventually the ballroom was built and is still there today. I used to have to take my helmet and gas mask along with me each time I danced, imagine me in all my finery!

I went to Barrowland each Saturday 鈥� it was the best dance floor in Europe, very well sprung. I met a sailor, out in Glasgow for a day out. He took me home. The following week, he took me to his home town, Burnley. He asked me to marry him in front of his mother, over the breakfast table. I got home to Glasgow and told my mum I鈥檇 something to tell her. 鈥淥h dear鈥�, she said, 鈥淗e鈥檚 asked me to marry him. Both of you are marrying a pg in a poke鈥�. We were married within three weeks. It lasted 53 years. He went back to the Navy but was demobbed shortly afterwards.

I remember my second hand woollen swimming costume which ended up around my ankles on deserted Brora beach in Sutherlandshire 鈥� before I was married!

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