大象传媒

I was 2 1/2 when the war ended. My younger sister had been born only a few weeks before. My Father was a Borough Engineer and Surveyor and in a reserved occupation,as he knew the lay out of vital services in the area, such as water,gas and electricity main supplies. He was an ARP warden. He had to contend with his father's dissaproval of not joining up. (His Father had been wounded in the Boer War). I can remember waiting at the garden gate for him to come home at lunch time riding my Mother's bike.Petrol was rationed, so he couldn't use the car. I had pigtails,and he plaited my hair( That was unusual in itself!) He managed to catch a hair which pulled and hurt dreadfully. No-one realised wat I was complaining about! I remember him saying to my Mother, "I'm going to take her into Town, she might remember it" All the way into Sunbury we stopped and talked to people. I didn't know any one of them, but everyone said the same thing,"Isn't it wonderful?" My hand was held tightly by my Father,which of course was higher than my little hand, and it began to ache! I recall lots of what seemed like confetti pouring down. I still don't know what that was. I had Red,White and Blue ribbons tying up my pigtails, very special! One of the games that my friend Timmy, accross the road and I used to play, was looking for shrapnel on the bombsites. I had no idea what it was of course but it was quite something if you found any. It amazes me now that at that tender age we were allowed to wander around the vicinity of our home unaccompanied. Certainly wouldn't allow children to do that now! My Mother was very good at making clothes and used to turn my father's old shirts into smocked dresses for me. When I grew out of them she used to take them down to the clothing exchange and get points to get more clothes for me and my baby sister. I don't remember the war as such only the memories that I have that I now know relate to the war. I remember having Dolls clothing coupons!

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