大象传媒

LOST IN THE BLACKOUT

I lived in the colliery village of Willington, County Durham throughout World War 2. One evening, in December 1940, when I was 11 years old, my friend Fred Harle and I decided to go carol singing, around some of the private houses on the outskirts of the village. It was a dark and gloomy night and, after earning a few coppers at a number of houses, we became tired of stumbling about in the dark unlit streets and decided to wait for a moonlit night, when extra light would make our efforts easier.

It was after 6 o鈥檆lock when we had finished our singing and Fred persuaded me to accompany him to his home, on a council estate, not far from where we had been singing. Fred鈥檚 mother was a very warm person and she always made me feel very welcome, when I came to the house with her son. Soon we were involved in games of Ludo and Snakes and Ladders. Suddenly, I became aware that the time was nearly half past eight and I knew that my parents would be worried at my absence from my home and I quickly excused my sudden departure and started off, on what was a well- known journey, from the council estate, to the colliery row in which I lived.

The first few yards of my journey seemed straightforward, although the darkness seemed total, but, attempting to cross the road, I stumbled on the kerbstone and fell full- length into the road. It was rather a shock and I spent some moments in recovering my composure, before I continued on my way. I soon realised that I could not see anything in the inkiness of the blackout. I stumbled on for a few yards, not knowing in which direction I was walking. There were houses nearby, I knew, but being a nervous child I was very timid in approaching anyone so late in the evening. I staggered on, like a blind person with no assistance.

Rather frightened, I paused and tried to devise some method of becoming aware of my bearings. It came to me that continuous wooden fences surrounded the houses of the council estate, so I gingerly proceeded, until my outstretched hands came into contact with the rough wood of the fencing. I knew now that by feeling the wood, I could make my way to the edge of the estate and thereby find my way home. Continuing along the fencing I could hear the sound of a bus, so I knew that I was approaching the main road through the village. It was with great relief that I realised that I was now in a very familiar area, and despite the awful darkness of the blackout, I soon made my way home.

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