大象传媒

My sister, brother and I were now back home; we had been evacuated to the country for ten months. The majority of our school friends had also returned and there was talk of our school being reopened. Meanwhile we were given lessons in people鈥檚 houses for a couple of hours each day, needless to say the rest of the time was spent playing hopscotch, skipping, or top and whip, also swinging around the lamppost with rope we had borrowed off the clothesline. Most of the time we did not concern ourselves with the war, we were selfish and just worried about our sweet ration.
Nevertheless as the months passed, we began to realise how serious the war was. We were issued with an air raid shelter, which had to be sunk into the garden and asked to tape our windows. Furthermore, we were given instructions on how to black out our windows with black material so that not a chink of light would show. Later on A.R.P. wardens could be heard shouting 鈥淧ut that light out!鈥�
Women began to replace men at the workplace, releasing them to join the forces, also queues began to form everywhere, we would join one then ask what it was for later. Sometimes when we asked for something in the shops we were told 鈥淒on鈥檛 you know there鈥檚 a war on?鈥� Incendiary bombs later hit those same shops. After the flames were put out, notices quickly appeared stating that it was 鈥榖usiness as usual.鈥�
Months went by, then the bombs began to drop, occasionally we would be at the cinema when a message would flash on the screen saying that an air raid warning had sounded and asking if anybody wanted to leave. Not many people left particularly if their heartthrob was in the film. If it was evening when we went to the cinema, we would find our way home in the pitch black night because street lighting was forbidden. Only hand held torches pointing downward were allowed. Consequently many people bumped into things. The only light we saw at night was the searchlight snaking its way across the sky looking for enemy planes.
Time went by and we became interested in dancing. It became the love of us all, even my brother, now that we were a little older. There was no shortage of partners the city was full of young men and women in uniform. Later when the men were away the women began to dance with one another.

'This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by 大象传媒 Radio Merseyside鈥檚 People鈥檚 War team on behalf of the author and has been added to the site with his / her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.'

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