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This story wae submitted to the People's War site by Richard Gorton, Guide at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Open Centre Hull, on behalf of Gladys Beadle and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

LIFE ON THE HOME FRONT - THE BLITZ

In early May of 1941 the bombs were raining down on Hull almost nightly. This is now referred to locally as ‘The Blitz’.

In that year my sister attended Malet Lambert High School in Hull and I attended The Gregg School (a private Business Training College) in George Street, Hull. One particular morning, after a very bad raid on Hull, when we had been up most of the night, my Mother decided that we MUST try to get to our respective Schools. The buses were running on a skeleton timetable and eventually a single coach came along. We travelled towards Hull, feeling very apprehensive, but when we got to Hedon Road near to the Docks, the timber yards on both sides of the road were ablaze! We could even feel the heat in the bus. I was terrified, but worse was to come!

There were notices everywhere saying ‘Road Closed — Unexploded Bombs’. Alternative routes were suggested. There were hose pipes everywhere and this awful smell of smouldering ashes. Whole streets had been raised to the ground. We wound our way in and out of the network of streets off Holderness Road and eventually arrived at North Bridge. From there I had to walk to School in George Street because the buses were not allowed to go any further into town.

Hammonds Store was on fire, as was Bladons, Edwin Davis’, the Co-op and Thornton Varleys (now Debenhams).

When I eventually arrived at School there was a big notice outside saying ‘School Closed’. Oh! Dear me, it was one thing getting there, but quite another getting home!

Apparently no more buses were allowed into the city itself and were terminating at Hull Prison on Hedon Road. So I set off to walk, along with some more girls, in and out of the streets on Holderness Road we picked our way. After a while I spotted my sister and was I pleased to see her? We eventually found our way down Hedon Road to Hull Prison. There, to our delight, the buses were waiting to take us home.

I’m not telling you what I said to my Mother when I did eventually arrive home, but thanks be to God I survived the experience and have ‘lived to tell the tale’!

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