大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Caroline Chambers of Sutton Coldfield Library on behalf of John Wilson and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was nine years of age and on the 3rd September 1939 I was travelling with the family to a holiday in Cromer, Norfolk. We arrived in the early afternoon, along with other guests, and the hotel owners had been serving afternoon tea. The wireless was on in the background when the news broke and threw the lounge into total confusion!

Several families had to return home straight away, but with the knowledge of the imminent hostilities my father had already cleared with his employers that whatever happened we would continue with our holiday.

I tried to get somebody interested in going down to the beach, but they were all far too preoccupied with discussing current events! Eventually, I was able to sneak off on a solo visit to the beach, which I found totally deserted. I walked about halfway down to the sea intending to have a paddle when 4 or 5 lorries drove up and disgorged about 40 or 50 troops. They proceeded to unload huge bales of barbed wire and baulks of timber. Immediately they set to building a barracade along the whole front. Two of the soldiers then came to intercept me and advised that I wouldn't be allowed to stay on the beach! I was promptly escorted back to the hotel!

That same night, the hotel had an unusual resident who was referred to as 'Professor Homer'. He was an Hungarian who had escaped to England and by profession he was a qualified Phrenologist, who was able to do character readings and give potential abilities from reading the various bumps on a persons head. He occupied 2 adjoining rooms above a Chemist shop and he definitely came into the category of "the most Unforgettable Character that I have ever met" (as would have been quoted in the 'Readers Digest' series at the time). In addition to his unusual skills he was a champion ballroom dancer and a swimming instructor who was qualified in life saving. Also he was a skilled hypnotist! On this night, the proprieters of the hotel prevailed upon him to put on a demonstration of hypnotism, with a view to taking the guests' minds off the current unsettling circumstances.

A fellow guest, whose name I think was Harding, broke in to say that nobody would EVER put him under hypnotic influence, which he claimed was 'a load of utter rubbish'. This gentleman was a somewhat hard bitten Northener who was a Bank Manager with rather set opinions!

Eventually, 3 or 4 other guests volunteered to take part in a demonstration and the 'Prof.' persuaded Mr Harding to take part, despite his protestations that he didn't believe in the subject. At one point, it could be seen that he was definitely 'under the spell'. When he was told that he was a dog, he promptly dropped down on all fours and crawled across the floor towards his wife, barking loudly! I, who was watching the activities from behind the lounge door in my pyjamas, was spotted at this point and promptly whisked back to bed.

I heard next day that he denied he had been hypnotised! As I said, "the most unforgettable character I have ever met..."

On returning home, about 10 days later, we had only been in the house about 10 minutes, when we were visited by a Mr Wager who announced that he was the ARP warden for our road. His purpose in visiting us was to fit us all with gas masks. Both my Mother and Father were soon accommodated, but he had a problem with me. The standard childs gas mask was too small and the normal small size gas mask was too large. The warden took some measurements and said he would have to order one specially for me, which would take about 2 weeks to come through. I was greatly concerned as to what would happen if we had any gas raids in the interim period. My father told me not to worry as if there were any gas attacks he would wrap my head in a damp towel! This assurance did not convince me and I spent the next 2 weeks being anxious not to sleep at night in case we had any raids and I never woke up.

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