大象传媒

(3)

Later, my parents took me to St Andrews Park to see the Spitfire
which had been shot down, and to pay our respects.
FOOD, OR THE LACK OF IT.
Cooking at school was very difficult due to the rationing
of food. My mother used to melt margarine and the butter ration
together to make it last the week.

We ate a lot of tripe and onions offal, dried egg, spam and rabbit. At Christmas we got a lovely food parcel from relatives
in Canada. Queuing for food became a regular occupation, even if you didn't know what you were queuing for.

Mum used to use rice or potato water to stiffen my dad's collars
and shirts because she couldn't get Robin Starch.

GAS MASKS

We carried our gas masks everywhere. The brown cardboard boxes
slung over our shoulders on twine, had long since been replaced
by smarter looking cases made of canvas or rexine. A gas attack
was to be signalled by wardens, with what are now football
rattles. We never heard them, thank God, or the ringing of
church bells which would have meant invasion.

One day, whilst walking with my cousin June on Horfield Common,
we came across a dark blue van. It was a gas testing room. You
had the opportunity to go inside, put on your gas mask and then
when the chamber was full of gas, you lifted the edge of the
mask to sample the effect of the gas. Only adults were supposed
to try it, but somehow June and I got in. When we were outside
again, June's eyes were sore and red, but mine were O.K. I
think, maybe^ that I automatically held my breath.

SCHOOL DAYS ONLY

Life went on, the war went on. We listened to the news on the
wireless, and followed the progress of the war from maps printed

in the papers. School life was interrupted by air-raids and
air-raid and gas mask drill. We had lectures from Policemen,
telling us not to pick up small objects which looked like pens
but which were really bombs dropped by the Germans. Then came
the decision that we would only attend school for h a day, so
saving lives if the school sustained a direct hit. As it was
we had a roll call at assembly every morning to remember our
schoolmates who we would not see again.

We thought the idea of only going to school for a day was

marvellous, but soon discovered that one of the teachers would
be coming to the house in our street with the largest room,
where all the children of that street would gather for lessons.
This worked for my group, but not for another street group.
The house where lessons were to be given received a direct hit.
I can remember it now with a double bed hanging out of its top

floor in Filton Avenue.

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