大象传媒

This story was told to me and my brother by our mother Ivy Hughes, many years ago.

It started where my grandparents lived in Seaham Harbour.
Jack and Mary Stuart were the publicans of the Golden Lion Hotel in Seaham. They lived in the accomodation above the pub with their children my mother Ivy and her sisters Doris, Edna and Jean and brother Tommy.
This particular day was no different from any other except that they were expecting their half brother Edward on leave from his ship (Merchant Navy) which would be docking in Seaham on the high tide. Seaham is a tidal port.
The Golden Lion looks out over the port itself and had been selected for a machine gun which was fitted into one of the upstairs windows. My uncle Teddy's ship had docked and he was making his way up the short road from the dock to the Golden Lion when a German Heinkel bomber flew in from the seaward side. Its machine guns were firing on the ships in the dock and as it passed over my Uncle Teddy was machined gunned as he ran up the road. Fortunately there was a gents toilet close to where he was and he ran into there and threw himself on the ground. Uncle was unharmed and the bomber flew on heading west. My mother always said that this is probably what saved him along with his quick thinking. Within a couple of days he was back on his ship and sailing off again. Uncle Teddy survived the war and ended up running his own public house called the Edinburgh Castle in Seaham.

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