大象传媒

This story was added to the People's War Site by a volunteer of 大象传媒 Newcastle on behalf of George Heaviside. George Heaviside fully understands the site's terms and conditions and the story has been added to the site with his permission.

"It was our family's usual Sunday routine. Mum was starting to prepare our traditional lunch - roast and three veg, followed by rice pudding!

Dad and I, dressed in our 'Sunday best', turned right out of our masionette in Regent Road, Gosforth at about 10.15am. At Salters Road we turned left and walked to catch a single-decker tram car from outside the Cinema on Gosforth High Street. Get off at the Haymarket. The streets were Sunday quiet - not many people about.

Walk down Percy Street, right up Gallowgate, cross the road to go up Corporation Street on the left until it met Bath Lane, where a right turn brought us outside the Church. As always, my Dad went into the main Church and I, who was not yet a month past my seventh birthday, went into the Sunday school. It was just before 11am -we always arrived in good time.

Just after midday we emerged and re-traced our steps to the Haymarket for the usual tramcar journey to Gosforth.

As we stepped off the tram at the foot of Salters Road the streets were still quiet. But the message on the solitary newsvendor's placard was loud and clear. On his placard were just two words.

WAR DECLARED

It was Sunday 3rd September 1939.

It might have started off as usual. But life was never the same again for the Heaviside family and millions of others!

A day to remember indeed!"

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