大象传媒

GETTING ROUND THE RATIONS.
Often, Dad would take me on the front of his bike to visit 'Uncle' Tom Camp at his farm in the Rammee. Dad would always come away with a large green bottle full of milk for me.

HUNGRY ENEMY.
We visited Auntie Lilly and Uncles Arthur and George. Auntie Lilly was upset as her lovely spaniel dog Judy had gone missing and then, some days later, they had found her skin and bones had been thrown over the wall into the garden. Antie Lilly was sure it had been done by the Germans who were even more hungry than the Islanders, during the siege.

BARTERING
Mum and Dad took me by bicycle to Torteval one Sunday. I was sent to play with some bigger children who made me walk on narrow walk-ways between dark brown liquid in a barn, while Mum and Dad bartered for some grain. I later learned Mum had exchanged some of her wedding trousseau for this grain which we then turned into flour, using a little wooden coffee grinder. After the transaction, the farmer and his family had us singing hymns round the piano.

WINTER 1945.
One evening when I had gone to bed, I was bothered by throbbing in my ears so Mum came up to sit with me. We had a gas light which gave a very pale, lemon light. Mum had a half crust of bread from which she picked small crumbs for me to eat very slowly. I noticed she too, took the occasional crumb herself. We made the feast last as long as possible by eating slowly.

RED CROSS PARCELS.
The only thing I remember of these, was having a taste of chocolate for the first time in my life. The bar was dark and bitter and had an oval impression in it. When Mum took me to visit her Auntie Sophie and parrot Jacko, I was given a Red Cross chocolate biscuit.

TOMATOES.
Mum took me to visit an old lady in Hautville. The lady pulled back a panel in her ceiling to reveal trays of tomatoes. I was given one to take home. I remember biting into it at the top of St. Julian's Avenue and having slime and pips oozing down my face, and vomiting. I have to this day, a distaste for raw tomato.

SALT SHORTAGE.
I watched ladies collecting sea water for boiling vegetables, from the Creening Hard steps near the Weighbridge.

MILK RUN.
Mum walked me right out to the States Dairy near Carmel, to try to get some skimmed milk.

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