大象传媒

In 1943 I lived in Hull and was bombed out in the blitz. At the time I was working in a grocers shop, going crazy counting food coupons. Then one day my friend Iris came home on leave looking healthy and tanned from working in the Land Army. I decided to volunteer too. I was less than 5 foot tall so I nearly didn鈥檛 get in, but soon could lift an 8 stone sack of potatoes.

I was sent to Howden Hostel, a barrack like building and my life changed completely. After the dirt and noise of the city the country side was paradise. The never ending skyline, rows of vegetables, cows, horses, sheep and sweet smelling hay. Shifting tons of manure came later. It was a totally new experience and I soon made lots of friends, muscles and blisters. 60 years later only the friends remain.

Jobs I remember include trying to put the collar on a large horse. I stood on a box, pulled its head down by its mane, and threw the collar on. The back aching job of picking potatoes, trying to empty the basket was a problem, I was too short. I stood on the wheel of the cart, then someone would click the horse on and send me flying, basket and all. We did every job imaginable, ditching, dyking, slashing hedges, pulling sugar beet, flax, turnips, and sprouts etc. Threshing was a really dirty job, especially if you worked at the side of the machine where all the chaff came out.

You can imagine that drinks or 鈥渓owances鈥� were most welcome, even if it was just tea made in a greasy bucket. We were not jealous of the Italian prisoners drinking coffee made by their cook. No fraternising took place, mind you.

We were taken to the farm by Army lorry, or we biked to work. Sometimes we worked near airfields and I remember counting out Lancaster bombers leaving for Germany, an obvious sign that dances would be postponed and, sadly for many girls, their sweetheart might not return.

The fun we had helped us through the dark days of the war. It helped those who were waiting, like my friend Joan who was waiting for her Bill, who was in a prison camp in Burma. We all danced for joy in Queens Gardens, Hull on VE Day. Through working in the Land Army I met a handsome Latvian displaced person, who I worked with, and with whom I have had a lovely family, but that is another story.

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