大象传媒

When my granda John Gibson was around six years old, he and his older brother, Norman aged 7, were evacuated, in the 1940's to a place a few miles from the Goolage Road called Greysteel.
They stayed with their aunt Lizzy Hazzlet. My great granda William transported both my granda John and Norman on a horse and trap. At that time, my granda William was the only person living in Bond Street to have a horse and trap. My granda John loved his life growing up in Greysteel on my great great aunt Lizzy's farm. He loved the huge variety of animals that they had. They both had to go to a Catholic school for the whole time they stayed with their aunt Lizzy, despite the fact that they were Protestants. Both granda John and Norman stayed in Greysteel for a year and they loved their whole time there.
The day came when their father collected them at their aunt Lizzy's farm. My granda and his brother were so disappointed when they had to leave. They never knew what was in store for them when they got back home. My granda had really missed his two brothers.
Kenny joined the army at seventeen, a year before it was legal to do so. My granda's other brother stayed at home with his mother because he was too young to leave her.
When my granda got back to Bond Street after living in Greysteel for a year he was shocked to see that there was not many people out. At night time if my granda John and his brother Norman wanted to go out they would have to wear gas masks and there was hardly enough light for them to see. The lights were out incase the bombers came. One night the sirens went off and my granda and his family rushed underneath the stairs. Their mother and father were trying desparetly to comfort them when suddenly there was a bang. They feared that something dreadful had happened. When they realised that everything was okay they stepped out of the front door. To their horror, a wee bit away from their house a bomb had been dropped. Lots of innocent souls were killed, some young and some old. When the day had finally arrived when Adolf Hitler gave up it was the day of glory for the people living near my granda. Everyone knew that there was going to be no more bangs or bombs being dropped.

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