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This story is by Joyce Gibson, and has been added to the site with their permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions. The story was collected by Joyce Gibson, transcribed by Elizabeth Lamont and added to the site by Bruce Logan.
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Characters

Edith Elderly lady who likes to complain. Lived in London during the war. Loves theatre.

Heather Her long-suffering daughter.

Bill Ex-Army and still missing it.

Marjorie Also lived in London. Enjoyed the war and its challenges.

* * * * * *

Edith Why have you brought me to this cold draughty hall?

Heather To talk about the war, Mother.

Edith Why can’t we talk about the war at home? Why do we have to come here?

Heather Because the U3A wants you to talk about it here. You promised Joyce
Gibson that you would.

Edith And who’s Joyce Gibson when she’s at home?

Heather You remember Joyce came round to the house. You told her you’d
love to come and talk about the war — don’t show me up now!

Edith You’re so cross Heather.

Heather Sorry, Mother. But you know you love talking about the war.
Bill and Marjorie are coming. They’re going to talk about the war too.

Edith Oh good. Bill knows about the war. I like talking to Bill.

Heather Yes, Mother. I know you do. Hello Bill.

Bill Hello Edith. These young ones know nothing about the war.
We’ll tell them how it was, won’t we? Isn’t Marjorie coming?

Marjorie Yes, here I am. Now, you want me to begin?
(NODS OF AGREEMENT)
Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I’m delighted to be here today
To share my experiences of wartime with you. (pause)
For me, the war was a time of opportunity and challenge.

Bill I was proud to serve my country. The army was my life. Thirty five years in all. Great memories!

Edith I remember the hardships — shortages, rationing, no sweets.

Marjorie Oh, we had great times. A wonderful challenge. Glad to be alive most of the time.

Edith Things were very different. No variety at all.

Heather But you were very inventive, Mother. What about the banana sandwiches?

Edith Oh yes, we mashed parsnips and added banana essence. Quite ghastly but the kids liked it.

Bill You women at home knew nothing about it. Wouldn’t have lasted a day at the front. I’ll never forget Winston Churchill’s call to war.

“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”

We’d have gone to the ends of the earth for him!

Marjorie The war gave women great opportunities. We were very proud when Ernest Bevan ‘called us up’. I was taken on because I had no children. I wanted to go overseas but I was sent to the Munitions’ Factory. The girls were fantastic. — all pulled together. Felt we were part of the War Effort!

Edith We did our bit at home too. We knitted comforts for the troops. We stretched everything to feed and clothe the family.

Heather Tell them about the mini skirts.

Edith The Board of Trade said we had to wear short skirts to save material so we cut our long ones in two and swapped with a friend. Two new skirts each! Oh, they were short. Your grandma nearly had a fit.

Marjorie Remember the stockings?

Edith What stockings? We had no stockings!

Marjorie We painted our legs brown and pencilled in the seams. I had never shown so much leg in my life!

Edith Only three pairs of shoes a year — they were supposed to be flat to save wood!

Marjorie I wouldn’t be seen dead in flat shoes! My invalid aunt had a cupboard full of classy shoes. She said that just because she couldn’t go out and enjoy herself, there was no reason why her shoes couldn’t!

Edith The theatre really kept us going all through the war. My Aunt had been an
actress and the minute the West End Theatres re-opened, we were there. Emlyn Williams’, “The Corn is Green”, “Dear Octopus” and the Lambeth Walk Musical - “Me and My Girl”!
Marjorie I remember The Old Vic Company doing “Peer Gynt” with Ralph Richardson.

Edith Oh yes, marvellous! Did you see Laurence Olivier in “Richard III”?

Marjorie Of course! And he was brilliant in “Henry V” too? Remember the extra bit they put in about the English Archers destroying the French Knights at Agincourt. Shakespeare wouldn’t have recognised his own play!

Bill We had ENSA — the Forces’ Entertainers. Many performers worked all through the war for the forces. Really kept our spirits up. And once when I was on leave, I saw John Gielgud in “Hamlet” and Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion”. Wendy Hiller and Leslie Howard!

Edith Oh, Leslie Howard. I cried for a week when he died.

Bill The British War Films were brilliant! “In which we serve” with Noel Coward — great story. And the war documentaries, “Desert Victory” and “The First of the Few”. Wonderful! Wonderful! Made us feel part of it all. Like Winston Churchill did. Will we ever forget his tribute to the RAF pilots after the Battle of Britain?

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Marjorie And it was so true. (PAUSE) But films weren’t all about the war. Remember the ones from Noel Coward’s plays. “Brief Encounter” and “Blithe Spirit”. Will you ever forget Margaret Rutherford as Madame Arcati?

Edith Never. Just brilliant! And Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone with the Wind”? She won an Academy Award for that!

Marjorie Did you see “Goodbye Mr. Chips” with Robert Donat?

Edith And Charles Laughton in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”.

Bill My parents said the Radio kept them going. Every Thursday night from 8.30 to 9 o’clock the whole country was listening to Tommy Handley. Mum said the Germans could have attacked then. Nobody would have noticed!

Edith Oh yes, Tommy Handley — ITMA. It’s that man again! — and Mrs. Mop. Can I do you now, Sir?

Bill Vera Lynn — the Forces Sweetheart — the Troops loved her. The ´óĎó´ŤĂ˝ and the War office higher ups thought her sentimental lyrics would sap our fighting spirit. They thought we needed military marches. We knew what we wanted. Vera Lynn!

Marjorie She was great. We listened to the Radio all the time. We enjoyed “The Brains Trust”.

Edith It was the rationing that bothered me. We really had very little.

Heather You told me some people managed well. What about the woman and the sugar?

Edith Oh yes, this rich woman. She bought 140 weeks ration of sugar and took it home in her Rolls Royce. She was fined £75! Some people made a lot of money with food. Lord Woolton — he was the Food Minister — had a go at the food speculators — he said they’d get their fingers burned.

Marjorie More likely got their pockets lined, Edith. Remember the 5 inch baths — and we had to share them and soap was rationed! It’s no wonder I enjoy luxury bubble baths so much!

Heather But it wasn’t all bad. I remember you saying you got food sent from New Zealand.

Edith Oh yes, I’ll never forget those Christmas Cakes — the smell of the muscatel raisins. And talking of cakes, my cousin Peggy got married and we couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw this huge 3-tiered wedding cake. Everyone was whispering, “Where did she get that? There’s a story there!” Well, there was!
The cake was made from cardboard and chalk and it was rented for the occasion! Her fairy-tale dress was made from her granny’s net curtains. Peggy always had style, one way or another!

Marjorie Och, we had plenty of laughs to get us through the bad times. You had to keep your spirits up.

Edith And then suddenly, it was all over. May 13th 1945, the war in Europe ended. The Church bells rang — the lights went on. Flags, fireworks and floodlights. The atmosphere in London was fantastic.

Marjorie The Royal Family came out on the balcony — eight times! We cheered till we were hoarse.

Bill And Winston Churchill’s speech.
“Advance Britannia. Long live the cause of freedom. God save the King.”
Then he conducted the crowd in singing “Land of hope and glory.”
Stirring times!

Marjorie Oh, it was exciting. You felt really alive. Glad that you’d survived. It was only afterwards that you thought ---------

Edith Have we talked enough about the war?

Heather Yes, Mother. Enough for today.

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