大象传媒

I was born on the 11th June 1940 - just after D Day which was on the 6th of June.
My earliest childhood memories were of the 鈥榮irens鈥�. I was terrified when the 鈥榓ll clear鈥� went of and clapped my hands over my ears 鈥� I hated the sound.

Then when I was about six years old one Christmas Eve when Santa had called I received a copy of the ABC Children鈥檚 Annual featuring films shown at the Saturday morning 鈥�6d鈥� pictures We went to the cinema in Ashton (the Odeon) latterly Metro on Old St, where we had to queue to get in (two and a half pence in today鈥檚 money.
I also found in my sack a pair of brown leather gloves with astrakhan backs, whereupon I put them on to keep freezing hands warm whilst reading my book.
One Christmas came a copy of 鈥淟ittle Women鈥� with beautiful coloured plates 鈥� I still have this book today. I would not part with it.
Another Christmas I received a white pigskin manicure set which was another prized present.
I remember taking parcels of newspaper to school to help the 鈥榮alvage effort鈥� which happens today with our recycling paper bins鈥�.what goes around comes around.

School dinners were awful 鈥� an awful fish pie which made me feel ill, but we had to eat every morsel with the teacher standing by. My parents both worked so I was made to stay for dinners.
I remember queuing for bread when I was 10 or 11 (1950 鈥�51) as it was still rationed. How did we manage to keep well fed with such meagre helpings?
I remember the air raid shelter at the bottom of our street. It was horrible and remained threr for years after the war 鈥� a dark smelly place where we played hide and seek amongst the broken brickwork of the inside.
Luckily our family didn鈥檛 use it. We stayed under the stairs in the 鈥榗oal hole鈥� or underneath the kitchen table.
I loved the wireless 鈥� 鈥楬appydrome鈥�, 鈥業TMA鈥�,and Vera Lynn and later 鈥楾he Goon Show鈥� Dad and I loved that, though mum could not appreciate the comedy of 鈥楨ccles鈥�, Neddy鈥� 鈥楽eagoon鈥� and 鈥楳ajor Bloodnock鈥�.
Cold winter nights when your bedroom window froze over on the inside, breath on the glass to make a peephole. 1947鈥檚 bitter winter, with snow-drifts 6 feet high, 鈥淔air Isle鈥� berets knitted by mother 鈥� lisle stockings, liberty bodices and navy blue school knickers with a pocket for your hanky. 鈥淭hermogene鈥� vests and 鈥淲intergreen鈥� ointment, camphorated oil warmed by the fire then spread over your chest and rubbed in 鈥� lovely and comforting.
A brick placed in the oven wrapped in a blanket and placed in your bed to warm you at night.
These are memories never forgotten --- times were hard, but the street comuniities were very close, we helped one another as we were all in the same boat.
People cared.

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