大象传媒

When I returned from evacuation on the Isle of Wight, I worked for a firm in Acton soldering wires in Megger boxes¹ that came from damaged Spitfires and I also inspected cables that were used by the Navy. After a while I left to join Gillette鈥檚 as they paid more; a whole 拢1 a week! They were still making razor blades but I worked in a section where we inspected the threads on screws and nuts for the RAF.

Whilst packing the blades, some of the girls included pieces of paper with their names and addresses. They weren't supposed to do this but one of the girls got a letter back from a sailor on a minesweeper. He could not of course give its name but he said the boys on board would love to have a portable radio and if it was possible, he would arrange a meeting. We all clubbed together and bought one. They were allowed a weekend leave so we took the radio to Waterloo Station and handed it over. They were absolutely delighted and we just hoped they survived the war.

On one momentous day, we were told a film crew was coming from Gaumont British to make a 鈥渃heer up鈥� film that would be released around the country. At that time, the factory tannoy used to put out the radio programme 鈥榃orker鈥檚 Playtime鈥� in the lunch hour. When we were in the canteen, the radio was playing 鈥楯鈥檃ttendrai鈥� but they had also brought in a pianist and a girl to stand on stage and sing it. Seven of us were taken down to the department where the blades were made and told we would be filmed there. A few days later when the film crew arrived, we were seated at a bench with the cameras in front and the lad with the clapperboard was behind me. 'J'attendrai' came over the tannoy and we all had to nudge each other with a silly grin on our faces. Needless to say we didn't do it to their satisfaction and each time I was nearly deafened by the wretched clapperboard. Eventually, the chap who called himself 鈥淐arpentier鈥� (I reckon it was Carpenter) said 鈥淚t鈥檚 in the can鈥�. We never did see the film or find out where it was shown.

As soon as it got dark you couldn鈥檛 show any lights so you had blackout curtains at all the windows. If you went out, you had to be careful because there were no street lights, so if the weather was bad I would catch the 91 bus to work instead of risking being knocked off my bike. On one occasion coming home there was a really thick 鈥楶ea Soup鈥� fog. The bus driver could hardly see what was in front so the conductor got off, lit a flaming torch and walked in front of the bus the entire length of the Great West Road. When we got to the large grassy roundabout before Chiswick High Road, the torch went out and the bus ran right over the roundabout.

Food was very short during the war but our family was very lucky. Dad was the manager of a large Ironmonger called Cato鈥檚. It was next door to the Chiswick Empire and just along from it was Court鈥檚 the Butchers. I had a permanent front seat in the Circle at the Empire, we always had meat and when I needed shoes or stockings and we had no coupons to buy them, I was sent to a shop in London to a friend of the manager who supplied them. The black market was rife and a lot of it went on.

Even in the late 1940s potatoes were in short supply and you were only allowed 3 bed sheets and 2 utility blankets. Lino was also short but you could have a small square with tar backing. If houses or flats were empty the council could commandeer them and rent them out to people on the housing list. Lots of people would queue outside sweet shops for hours but I, like some others, queued at the tobacconists for cigarettes but if you knew someone in the forces, you鈥檇 get them to give you tins of tobacco and roll them yourself.

My friend Kath had a cousin in the Canadian Navy. She said he and his mate only had two days in London and would like to take us out. Her cousin was about six feet four and his name, if I remember correctly was Clarence Crepps. They took us to see a film in London and presented us with Gardenias to put in our buttonholes. Goodness knows where they got them. On the way home they wanted to go to a restaurant or caf茅 and I knew there was one that would be open in King Street, Hammersmith. We were the only people in there. They asked for a coffee and something to eat and we ended up with 鈥渃at鈥檚 pee tea鈥� and a stale bread roll. When the cousin complained he was told 鈥淒on鈥檛 you know there鈥檚 a war on and our food is rationed?鈥� Bet they were glad to get back to their ship.

Go to Hazel's War - Part 1 Evacuation.

Go to Hazel's War - Part 2 Under Attack in London.

Go to Hazel's War - Part 4 Dances, Spivs and one legged tights.

Go to Hazel's War - Part 5 Great Uncle Charlie.

Go to Hazel's War - Part 6 The Human Cost.

¹听Megger Box - a portable instrument used to measure insulation resistance.

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