大象传媒

When I was sixteen years old the war ended for which I, along with thousands of other people, was grateful.

My memories of the war weren't too good. I had been ten years old when it started, and going down the shelter every night at six o'clock until the morning had been very scary. Listening to the planes, bombs and guns going all night long, then coming out in the morning to see the skies over the docks red with fire and black with smoke, was quite frightening for a ten-year-old!

My father had been a stretcher bearer, and was out in the blitz most of the time, so it was rather worrying for my mother, but now at sixteen years old it was all over!

I was at work now, having started at fourteen years old as a filing clerk in an accountant's office, which wasn't too bad. My wages were 拢1 per week, of which I actually got nineteen shillings and eight pence, having had four pence stopped for an insurance stamp. I used to give my mother the nine shillings and eight pence for my keep, and she let me have the ten shillings. By the time I was sixteen my wages had risen by another ten shillings.

We had a big street party in the High Street of Thame, where we now lived when the Armistice was signed, It was great, everybody singing and dancing. After six years of war it was good to enjoy ourselves.

Unfortunately rationing was still on and there were lots of things you couldn't buy, and this went on for quite a few years after the war. As clothes were rationed it was pretty hard trying to keep up with fashion, but we had a good try. I remember the `NEWLOOK' fashion as they called it with longer skirts and bouffant slips which stood out a bit We wore Carmen Miranda shoes with platform soles, which I thought were great, and not a lot different from the shoes of today!

By now I was courting a young man called Ron, who was in the Army Cadet Force. He later became my husband. We used to go dancing at the Town Hall every Saturday night doing the jitterbug, and rock and roll with our friends and on a Sunday it used to be motor bike scrambling at Brill, which was good fun.

Ron worked two nights a week as projectionist at the cinema, so twice a week we used to get in to see the films half price.

So for me, sixteen years old was quite an exciting time in my life!

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