大象传媒

These memories were gathered by Elaine Taylor at the Tullie House 60th WWII Anniversary Events in Carlisle.

Schooldays
I was only very young during the war. I remember the mickey mouse gas mask - it wasn鈥檛 very nice wearing it. We were supposed to take it to school with us each day, and if we forgot we had to go back for it.

We wore clogs through the week and saved our best shoes for church on Sunday. We went to church 3 times on Sundays and wore our best clothes.

If our shoes wore out, we would have to have them mended and carry on wearing them.

I went to school at Bishop Goodwin in Carlisle. One day all the children were given a tin of cocoa (whoch came from abroad) - this was a real treat. The schools would close for 1 week each October and all the children had to go potato picking. Most people had allotments and grew their own cabbages, carrots and other veg. We also used to have a bottle of milk each day at school. I was always given 2 bottles as I was thin they wanted to build me up.

We had a cupboard under the stairs which we went in when we heard aircraft going overhead. But there were no sirens where we lived.

Entertainment
We had to make our own entertainment in those days - I played with my top and whip and large metal hoop. My aunty used to play the banjo, ukulele and piano, and another aunty played the piano and accordion. I would dress up in a white stain dress and tap dance to their music. We used to go round places in the country providing entertainment for people. I loved dancing. At home we had wooden floors with a rag rug on by the fire. I would dance ob the wooden floor by the fire. I remember my mum saying 鈥淒ance on that spot over there instead because you鈥檙e wearing that bit of the floor out!鈥�.

We were able to go to Silloth on a train for holidays or weekends. Loads of people would take tents to the big field that is now a large caravan site. People would converge there and provide their own entertainment.

When we wanted to go to the pictures we would take a glass jam jar to gain entry - they must have recycled them so they were classed as the equivalent of money.

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