大象传媒

Sitting on our doorstep in East Street Alresford one fine May morning in 1944, this young man aged nearly 4 at the time was absolutely fascinated to see what seemed to be hundreds of vehicles rolling past, heading on towards Winchester. There were tanks, bren-gun carriers, and numerous lorries full of smiling and waving soldiers. Some actually stopped in the town and I well remember seeing different uniforms to what my Dad wore, and whats more they offered us chewing gum. That was a great treat for those of us kids who, with rationing in action, never got much in the way of sweets. It was a great treat to see the Lyons flag flying outside our local confectioner, as this meant he had some supplies of ice-cream in stock. When it had all gone,back went the flag into the shop.
Life was tough but you got by. The nightly ritual of Mum putting up the blackout boards, the excitement of sitting in a pushchair being wheeled up to see the wreckage of some crashed aircraft. The first arrival ever of bananas, and both me and by brother were sick when we first tasted them, much I imagine to the disappointment of our mother who had queued up for a long time to get these precious fruits. Distant memories, but still they linger on as a permanent memory to a time when hardship was an everyday fact of life. It didn't however stop 2 small boys( my brother was 18 months younger than I)having a happy childhood. Testament I feel to the good job done by a caring mother whose husband was most time away in the Army.

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