大象传媒

September 3rd 1939 was a Sunday and I went to church as usual. I was 16 years old. I was a member of Kings Hall Methodist Church in Southall, Middlesex. September begins a New Year in Methodism and we had a new minister, the Rev. A. Price Hughes. the service began at 11a.m. and the first words he spoke to his new congregation were the announcement that war had been declared between Germany and the British Empire. It was felt that the service should proceed; those wishing to leave could do so.
At the end of the service I walked home with my boyfriend, Bert Greenall. We had a 20-minute walk, and as we neared our house, the air raid sirens sounded: a frightening sound when heard for the first time and one which would become all too familiar. We ran; everyone else was running too and newly-appointed air raid wardens were telling everyone to "get off the streets". we arrived home to find my parents, brother and sister sitting with gas masks on. Not knowing what the bells, sirens and shouts from the wardens meant, they thought it safest. After 30 minutes, the all-clear sounded, a sound we were to hear with relief many times.
During that first war winter, we had to learn many new rules. "Everywhere you go carry your gas mask and your identity card". Children arriving at school without them were sent home. All place directions were taken down and the instructions were "Never give directions to strangers. Never talk about factories in the area". We lived within walking distance of Heston Airport, so "If anyone asks about planes or airmen, however trivial it seems, report him."
In the Blackout all street lighting was banned, also shop window lights from one hour before sunset until after sunrise. All windows in houses had to be blacked out. Not a chink of light was to be seen on penalty of a fine. A hooded torch became a treasured possession for walking the darkened streets.
Early in 1940 we applied for and received wood and galvanised steel to build an air raid shelter in the back garden. This was inveneted by MP Sir John Anderson, the Home Secretary, and became known as an Anderson shelter. We all helped to build it and make the 9 foot by 5 foot building as comfortable as possible. It was to be our bedroom on many subsequent nights and home during many a daytime raid as well.
Rationing was introduced and although we never went hungry, it must have been a nightmare for people to cook appetising and nourishing meals. A freid egg became a luxury and chocolate and bananas, to name but 2 items, were for under 5s only. One recipe for "banana" sandwiches consisted of stewed turnips, mashed soft and flavoured with banana essence: only one of the many tricks we learned. I joined "make and mend" classes as clothing coupons were scarce. Jumble sales became very popular. As daylight raids increased, schooling was often interrupted and children often had only a few hours a day at school. Gradually, being at war became the norm and it became difficult to remeber a time before that fateful day in September.

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