大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Elizabeth Perez of Stockport Libraries on behalf of Alan Riste and has been added to the site with his permission. He fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

I lived in Wythenshawe. I went to my relatives in Skipton just before the Manchester Blitz. I remember climbing the moors and watching the flashes of anti-aircraft guns and the bombs. I only stayed in Skipton for two months and then went back to home in Wythenshawe.

I went back to my own school and remember we had to take a blanket and a cushion in with us in case of having to go in air raid shelters. We used to have gas mask drill - we enjoyed that as it stopped lessons for a bit.

The British Restaurants became the Civic Restaurants after the war - you didn't have to use your ration books. The meal was 1/6d for a meal, pudding and a cup of tea. They were in make-shift places (i.e. bomb-sites, churches etc.) and very basic. I remember loads of mince, swedes and spotted dick.

The Home Guard was originally Local Defence Volunteers, but we thought of them as "Look, Duck and Vanish". Every street had an air raid warden and they were issued with a stirrup pump and a very long shovel to put sand on top of incendiary bombs. Barrage balloons sometimes broke loose and the Home Guard shot them down. As children if an aeroplane flew over we all threw ourselves on the floor - really children in the war had a very exciting time.

Single decker buses had trailers behind that were some sort of boilers and they had a fire in them and the buses ran on the gas that was produced because of shortage of petrol. Delivery vans had gas balloons on the roof and as the day went on, the balloons deflated.

We were always hungry but fish and chip shops were always open. Sweets were rationed. You could buy "kayli" blocks and dissolve them in water to give a fizzy drink.

We went to the pictures and if there was an air raid it used to flash on the screen and you could either stay or go to the shelter. ENSA used to entertain all round the country in parks and public buildings.

Parachute jumps were practised in Tatton Park.

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