大象传媒

After my father died, my mom had to find some more work so she went cleaning in our local pub. It was called The Raven at Wheely Castle, Birmingham.

I used to run her errands for her and also for Mr Birch whose pub it was. His lady friend Ivy also asked me to run some errands for her. I was always happy to help and sometimes she sent me on what she called 'secret' errands.

I used to have to catch the bus to different places. I remember taking a bag filled with bottles to a butcher's shop in Selly Oak. The butcher would take the bag off me sharpish and take it straight out the back. He came back a little while later and the bag was now full of wrapped up packages. I was always well paid for doing my errands and mom was pleased because she used to come home with a few extra sausages! Little did my eleven year old brain appreciate that I was working on the black market!

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Jacci Phillips of the CSV Action Desk at 大象传媒 Hereford and Worcester on behalf of Jean Smallwood and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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