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I was around 7 or 8 years old when the war started. My father was in the Wigan fire brigade. We had a bell in the house for when there fires. When the war started, the brigade went to the Blitz areas such as Coventry. I remember this as he was away for my 8th birthday. My uncle was in the Royal Navy at Portsmouth so my father and him used to meet up when they could. My aunt worked at Risley making ammunition for the war. My other uncle was a petty officer in the Royal Navy. I took a picture of him into school and many other children brought pictures of their relatives in the forces. People were proud of those who were fighting for their country.

I remember when there were air raids we would have to rush into the air raid shelters. It was packed everyone had to rush to get a seat. There was a lady who always used to take her dog under her arm and people used to say that it was bad enough down there without the smell of the dog! If you didn’t have time to get to a shelter, the best thing to do was to go under the tables or stairs in the house.

I also remember the celebratory street parties when the war was over — everyone was making jellies and cakes. I wore a long dress and waved a flag. The King at the time George VI walked around and talked to the people as he felt he could communicate with the people having experienced the war also.

Another memory I have is being at school listening to ‘Bluebirds The White cliffs of Dover’ which made me shed a tear. It still brings a tear to my eye to this very day.

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