大象传媒

My Grandfather was the head doorman at the Regents Palace Hotel in London. To get home he always used the buses. This particular night was the first night of the Blitz. It was the worst night, there was no transport, buses had been blown up on a bridge so there was no movemnet on the roads. So he couldn't get back to do his Air Raid Warden duties in Manor Park. So he started to walk and dispite police stopping him on route he carried on. He was really worried as his wife and eight children and various other members of the family were all at home. My mother, Helen Ivy Evans, was the oldest daughter and about 22-23 years old at the time. She worked locally as a supervisor in the laundry factory.
So this particular night, as Grandfather was not home she decided to take over the role as the Air Raid Warden.
When her father evenually got back in the morning he found all the family safe and sound in the Anderson shelter. The age range of the family was 7-22 years. Mother told him that she had done his Air Raid Wardens job. She told him that she was walking along Church Road to the corner of 4th Ave where 'The Avenue' public house was when a house on the corner of 4th Ave got bombed and the blast of it knocked her off her feet and threw her through the pub doors and onto the bar stool at the bar. The barman turned around completely unfaised and handed her a double whisky with the immortal word 'Have a drink on us Love'.

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