大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer from Swindon College on behalf of Pamela Stringer and has been added to the site with her permission. Pamela fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

I lived near Petticoat lane in the East End of London. At one end of the road was the Co-op and they used horses to deliver bread daily. The horses were kept in stables next door to the Co-op. At the other end of the road was a paint Factory.

The paint factory had built an air raid shelter for the locals in its basement. This was massive and had been reinforced against air raids. It was all fitted out with bunk beds, bedding, and we took along food and drink when going there.

One Saturday the locals held a concert in the air raid shelter. Everyone took part, created our own items. Air raid warnings had gone out so we all stayed there for the night. Following morning after the all clear was given, we walked up towards our house and realised that the Co-op building had been bombed. It was completely flat. The police were there and firemen, and they told us that all the horses had escaped from the stable except 2 that were killed. It took the police 3 more days to find and capture the other 40 horses.

Eventually we went back to our own house. My mum, nan and I lived upstairs while my aunt and uncle lived downstairs. I remember the rent being 7/6d. On reaching home my mum and I went to get some bedding from the Anderson shelter in the garden. We realised immediately that something wasn鈥檛 quite right as the door of the shelter was now against the wall. The shelter had been completely uprooted from the ground and turned 180潞. We would have all been killed if we hadn鈥檛 gone to the concert the previous evening.

I stayed here during the Blitz but when the blessed Doodle Bugs started, children were evacuated. I went with my little case and my name on a tag, gas mask and one postcard to send my new address to my mother. It was so late when we arrived in Yorkshire that we had to sleep in a church on the pews. We had blankets from the WVS. During the night I suddenly woke up to very loud noises. Two children had got up and started to play the organ!

I stayed with a nurse who worked in the pits. Her son was in the airforce so I had his room. I joined the local school and the nurse took me on holiday to Blackpool. I had never been to the seaside before. I was very well treated and had a lovely time. I have special memories of the grand piano. It was a 鈥渉ome from home鈥� and the nurse was so very kind.

Eventually I returned to my home which had remained standing. For many years, the nurse and I wrote to each other.

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