大象传媒

It was a beautiful moonlit thursday evening as my twin sister and I were going to the pictures. We set off from our house in Club St., at about 7 o鈥檆lock and as we turned the corner into London Rd. the sirens sounded. So we decided to switch from the Regent Cinema, which was at the top of the moor, and nipped into the Landsdown Picture Palace on the corner of Boston St., instead. The film showing that night was 鈥淰igil in the Night鈥�. We had been seated for about half an hour but all we could hear were the planes overhead and lots of bangs. We stayed in the building, but were told to stay under the seats.
Then at about 11-30 pm the Palace caught fire and we had to evacuate the building. In between the falling bombs we ran across Boston St. to some derelict houses. Apparently they were empty because of the slum clearance. So we nervously entered one of the cellars, it was pitch black and very frightening. We had just settled down when there was a terrific loud bang close by. Naturally we had to stay put until the 鈥渁ll clear鈥� sounded at about 5 am the next morning.
When we finally came up from the cellars everywhere around was on fire with lots of buildings destroyed. We made our way home not knowing what we would find. Luckily no one in our family had been injured but all the windows had been blown out. Of course there was no gas, electricity or water; it was a very traumatic experience.
I worked for Burgins the grocers at the time and after recovering I wondered how I would get to my branch at Firth Park. So 3 hours after arriving home I then walked down to their warehouse on Bridgefield road at the bottom of the moor. Mr Burgin himself was standing in the middle of the road when I arrived and we just stood there as the whole warehouse went up in flames. I asked him what I should do as there was no transport running. 鈥淣ow is the time the people need you鈥� was his reply so I set off and walked all the way to Firth Park terminus. The moor was littered with fires, trams on their sides and worst of all bodies of those perished during the night. Eventually after a difficult journey I arrived at the shop but the windows were broken and lots of people were standing around in distress. After closing the shop in the evening I then had to make the return journey arriving home completely shattered.
I made this journey for 2 weeks until I was moved to a branch closer to home at Hunters Bar.
My boyfriend who was in the air force was allowed weekend leave after the blitz night. On the Sunday evening we walked to the station and waved goodbye to each other not knowing when we would see each other again. Later that evening there was another airaid this time in the east end of Sheffield where the factories were situated.
I did see my boyfriend again and we got married in July 1941. I am 85 years old now and still here to tell of my experience of the blitz. I thank god for surviving that awful experience and hope that it will never happen again.

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