大象传媒

Our windows are stuck with brown sticky tape in case the glass breaks when the bombs
fall. All over the garden are bags of sand, but I鈥檓 not allowed to play with them.
鈥淚t isn't Weston,鈥� Mum says.
Wednesday
Today I nearly fell into the wooden barrel under the tree on the pavement. Now the railings
been taken away, I can walk along the wall. Mum told me to get down. I practised
drawing a swastika on the brick wall. I'm not very good at it. So I drew Joe Chad instead.
Mum told me to wipe it off, and told me use my blackboard that Uncle Bill made for me.
Uncle Bill made a scooter out of wood for me. It's good, especially when I speed down
hill. The lady at the top of the hill told me I made too much noise. It wasn't me.
It was the scooter, but I didn't tell her that.
I think I have been a nuisance today.
Thursday
We went to the shelter again in the night. There is a strong wall in front of the shelter.
It is open each end. One opening is covered by a thin curtain. I wonder if Hitler may
come in one night. It is cold, and musty, and there are spiders everywhere. After
the All Clear, sometimes the moon shines on the garden and all the bushes look ghostly.
Tonight it was very dark in the avenue. Only the stars peeped through the trees.
The lamppost outside my bedroom window is tall and dark. I wonder when the
lamp lighter will come back.
Sometimes if we hear the thud of bombing, we sit under the stairs with our
coats on. We have a small candle. There鈥檚 a gas mask hanging in the cupboard. It is
black and has a green end. I don't ever want to wear it.
I hope every day that my Dad is all right out in the war.
Friday
This evening there was a party in the Co-op Hall. There was a band on the stage and
they played my favourite song 'You are my sunshine'. So I ran on to the stage and sang
it loudly to everyone. They were pleased and clapped and cheered.
I think I have been famous today.
Saturday
People always queue. This morning Pat and I took pudding basins to the dripping shop.
The queue stretched from the dripping shop right to the end of the next road. We waited
for ages until our Mums came and said 鈥淒on't wait any longer. There won鈥檛 'be any left
by the time you get there.鈥�
This afternoon we queued again, on the stairs in Shepherd's Shop, Clarence Road.
The stairs led to Father Christmas. He鈥檚 big with white hair. He looked hot in his
red coat. He gave me a colouring book and asked me what I wanted for Christmas.
I said that I wanted the war to end, so my Dad could come home. He smiled and patted
my head. I wish men wouldn't pat heads after I spent the night with my hair in rags
to make drop curls. We walked home and had bread and lard for tea.
We listened to Vera Lynn on the radio. To make Mum laugh I pushed two balls
inside my jumper. I balanced an orange and an apple on my head. Then I sang
鈥淚-I-I-I-I-I love you very much.鈥�
Saturday evening
I am very sad. We were going to go shopping in Castle Street. Woolworth's is my
favourite shop. Now it's bombed and there is glass and rubble everywhere. There is
always a strange smell around the bombed sites like dust and concrete. It is very quiet
where usually there are grown ups and children chattering.
To make my day even sadder, soon I have to have a tooth out at the Clinic. I have bad
dreams when the dentist gives me gas to make me sleep. Afterwards we buy dried
milk and orange juice. Sometimes we sprinkle dried milk over tinned fruit (when
we have any). It makes the syrup taste creamy. One day I think I shall have some real cream.
Monday
I did not write for Sunday did I? Today on the way home from school we saw Bert the
paper man. He hops and skips along the road. We always shout to him.
鈥淲hat's the time Bert?鈥�
鈥淗alf past nine,鈥� he shouts, 鈥渉anging washing on the line!鈥� Then he chases us.
Mum says we shouldn鈥檛 shout out to him.
On the way to school I found a lollipop in the street. It was wrapped so I ate it.
Mum wasn鈥檛 pleased when I told her. She was opening a big parcel from our cousins
in America. There were dried eggs, tins of prunes (ugh) and dresses for Mum and for
me. Mine is blue and white check with a frill around the edge. It鈥檚 made in muslin.
Tonight we are making paper chains from strips of coloured paper we bought
at Federy's. Mum has sewn cotton wool on to threads of cotton and has hung them in
the window. It looks like snow. She has written on the mirror in soap--Happy Xmas.
I wonder what my Dad is doing for Christmas.
Tuesday

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