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I was 9 when war broke out. My parents ran the greengrocers in McIntyre Road, St Johns and we had to take the food coupons to the Food Office in High Street Worcester. Customers were allowed to buy 2oz of butter, 4 oz of butter and 8 oz of sugar (I think) and we used to have to cut up the butter out of the bowls. Mother would cut the sides of bacon by hand to suit the customer’s requirements and nobody else was allowed to touch her knife.
My father and sister were in the ARP and my sister went into the land army. Dad knew everybody in the area and everyone would come to him if there were a problem. One lady came to him one day saying that she was sure someone who had recently moved in locally was a German spy — what should she do? Dad went to check on this man — not knowing what he should do if he were a spy — only to find a drunken Irishman instead!
Mum hated going to the shelter if the air raid siren went and one night refused to go but sat with the tea cosy on her head all night. Another time she went down to her sisters with an eiderdown wrapped round her.
I used to be part of a dance class during the war and we used to perform all over the area. We tap danced mostly and would do shows at the Star Hotel and the Theatre Royal. I was always keen to do the shows to entertain the American troops because we used to get wonderful sweets for dancing for them!

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Jane Moule of the CSV Action Desk at ´óÏó´«Ã½ Hereford and Worcester on behalf of Margaret Edwards and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions

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