大象传媒

I was born in November 1938. When I was approximately eighteen months old my father was called up. I was six years old when he returned home to my mother and four daughters. I was number four! Andover was a small market town, surrounded by the military. Childhood memories include watching long convoys of troop laden Lorries and tanks rumbling through.

At three years old I cut my foot severely enough to put me in the baby pushchair until I healed sufficiently to walk again. At this time American soldiers were going through to the Newbury area. These soldiers had a seamlessly endless supply of chocolate and chewing gum-both a rare treat. These soldiers tossed out their chocolate bars to many children. I ended up with more chocolate then I knew existed, thanks to a very heavily bandaged foot!

No bombs fell on Andover. The nearest one fell on a pub in a village called Clatford, two miles away. It wasn鈥檛 during open time.

Southampton was of course very badly affected by bombing. My mother took me on the local train to see the almost total devastation of that city. Other memories include clothing coupons, ration books, radio programmes (wireless powered by heavy accumulator), the air raid shelter in the garden (never used) and the night lights at bedroom-now fashionably called tea-lights!

The lack of sweets, biscuits, cake etc, meant nothing to us. What you never had, you couldn鈥檛 miss. We were dome of the lucky ones.

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