大象传媒

After the three night blitz in February 1941, Swansea continued to be attacked occasionally. Even though the town had virtually been destroyed, the bombers still came over. They were probably trying to bomb the docks and extensive munitions factories in the industrial area.
The bombers came mostly by night, when we had to make the grim dash to the Anderson shelter, complete with its spiders and various creepy crawlies. They frightened me more than the Germans. The unwelcome, corrugated hole in the ground was most unwelcome after I had been persuaded out of a warm bed for the stench of cold, wet, dank earth.
A visit to a reconstruction of a WW2 air raid shelter at the Imperial War Museum in recent years brought back reminders of the smell of that awful place, candles, paraffin heaters and dirt.
The smell of soot brings back the memory of a daylight raid, when my parents and I hadn't got time to go outside in the back garden to shelter, so we dived under the wooden kitchen table.
"What shall we do if a bomb drops on our house?" My father was trembling.
My mother looked at me and winked. She said, "It would be a bit late by then, George. We'd all be pushing up daisies."
We heard the uneven note of a Jerry plane overhead, followed by a couple of thumps. We covered our heads.
A while later our fear turned to laughter when we emerged from under the table. Only the whites of our eyes showing, our faces black with soot which had fallen down the chimney.

As the raids subsided my girl friend and I, around 1944, spent our time at the pictures or dancing. It meant a bus ride down the hill and a walk up it afterwards in the blackout. Surprising how little fear we felt in the dark.
The Patti Pavilion was a popular dance hall for local girls and servicemen of several nations. The centre of the hall was kept for the tango, quickstep, waltz and foxtrot.
Teenage local girls and Gi's used the corners for the jive. The more adventurous of these did incredible feats of movement in the jitterbug. My friend Jackie and I learned the more gentle form of the dance but enjoyed watching the others writhing around.
Note: At the age of 75 I recently surpassed myself, when, at a visit to Duxford and dancing to the present Glenn Miller orchestra, I was asked to dance by a young man dressed in American uniform and I actually DID the jitterbug!

Wales at that time was a dry country, no pubs open, no theatres or cinemas on a Sunday. With the many servicemen at a loose end a caring Swansea man came up with the idea that a number of young people could make up a choir to entertain the boys, along with other 'turns,'in a makeshift Garrison Theatre. The idea was good but after a few weeks most of the group left, just my friend and I remained.
We both liked singing and we had to help with the war effort, didn't we?
We rehearsed, mostly in the bathroom for the good effect of the harmony.
We appeared, to shouts and whistles, well, we were 16. And it was wartime! 'Let the rest of the world go by.' 'Carolina Moon.' and 'Smile the while.' were our choice of songs, they were old fashioned even then. We stood, Jackie in her long blue dress and me in a floor length green one. My mother, who was in the audience, heard someone say I was the same colour as my frock.
The auditorium became quiet and we sang the three melodies. We felt we were, at last, ready for fame and fortune. Carol Levis had been in Swansea. Maybe he was in front now. Perhaps "The Two In Harmony" would be one of his discoveries.
Then we heard a thumping noise. Bombs? Oh dear, it must be the microphone misbehaving. But no... it was our knees knocking; quite tunefully, I hope.
Never mind, we were happy, the audience seemed happy as they clapped, stamped their feet and cheered. We two 16 year olds had done our bit and sung to the troops. And Britain still won the war!

PS Wouldn't it be great if someone remembered we two very nervous entertainers in Swansea's Garrison Theatre in 1941. Love to hear from you.

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