大象传媒

Around the area that I lived there were many servicemen billeted. These included RAF at Firbeck, and Army at Carlton, Blyth, Worksop and Carburton. Some of them, on a Saturday night, if it was their night off, would come to Langold working men鈥檚 club or British Legion where they would meet the locals including my Dad.

My Dad was a face worker at Firbeck colliery and had himself been a soldier in the First World War. He knew what it was like to be a young soldier away from home, (he had been based somewhere down south and was not impressed with the lack of hospitality shown to him and others like him) I think he was determined to make the soldiers feel welcome and took pity on them. He often got talking to the young men at the club or Legion, inviting them home for some supper. If they were not on duty the next day they would even be invited to stay the night in our four bed roomed pit house that accommodated my parents, us four children and my Grandfather. I don鈥檛 know how my Mum managed with all the rationing, but they were always well looked after. We lived on carrots, onions, potatoes and Rhubarb grown in our own garden. Our meat included horsemeat from a butcher based in Worksop (but Mum never told us it was horsemeat.) My Mum baked all her own bread in our coal oven and I recall the many times I helped her knead a stone of flour at a time into dough in a large panshion on the hearth.
The soldiers really appreciated the hospitality shown by my family and others in the area. We would receive letters from them even when they were sent abroad. After the war some came to visit us I think from Altringham, Cheshire.

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