大象传媒

As a grown up I hate to see images of war on the television. My war-time experiences as a child in Liverpool have shaped my views as an adult.

My big brother, Len, disobeyed the strict rule of not straying far from home in case of an air raid. We could go to our Anderson shelter in the garden.

One day Len decided that he and I should visit Grandma who lived in Everton which was a tram ride away from our home. When we arrived at Grandma鈥檚 street we could not find her house as a land mine had dropped and obliterated the area.

We did not experience the fear that grown-ups would have had of this scene; we just wanted to locate Grandma鈥檚 house. We did this by walking along the pavement, recognising the black and white check tile leading to the doorsteps of every house and counted along till we came to her house but it was not there: there was just a pile of rubble. When we turned round to look at the other side of the street it was as if someone had taken the wall off a doll鈥檚 house so that we could see the furniture and the wallpaper and all the contents of someone鈥檚 home.

We were all pleased to discover that Grandma and family were in the cellar and survived without injury. They dusted themselves down and got on with their lives. Much loved, she lived to be 87.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.