大象传媒

I was born on 15 August, 1916. My parents were the licencees of the Exchange Hotel, on the corner of the Corn Exchange Building on Fennel Street. I could hear the boys' choir practice from Manchester Cathedral from my room.
On the day of the Christmas raid in 1940 my family and I were at dinner in the dining room, the windows of which looked over the corner of the Manchester Cathedral. I received a phone call to go on duty at the Ambulance Depot where I was an ambulance driver in the A.R.P. We had a terrible night -- I lost quite a few good friends when one the of the First Aid posts had a direct hit. I was just coming off duty when my brother arrived, asked me if I was "going home". I answered "yes" and was told it was no use, as the Hotel was there no longer, after the landmine dropped on the Cathedral had pulled the inside out of the building. My parents and brothers were all alive and well, having sheltered in the billiard room, which was below ground. Our Scotch Terrier dog was thrown across the room, but wasn't hurt.
After a year living in a house we had in Monton my Father and Mother took over the Dunes Hotel on Lytham Road, Blackpool.
I was an ambulance driver in the Eccles A.R.P., then became a driving instructor attached to the R.A.F in Blackpool. My brothers were involved in other areas -- Fred was in the local Fire Service, Reg in the Air Force, Alf in the Army, Eric in the R.A.F. Regiment and Bill in the Army. My husband (we married after the war) was in the Merchant Navy

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