大象传媒

This is part of my unpublished Autobiography
Below is a story which I told to my grand daughters. It is loosely based on my memories of visits to my Grandmother during WWII. I went by bus on my own and stayed the night with her鈥�.. and the fact that during an air raid in North Watford, Grandma was thrown out of bed by the blast of a bomb. And, indeed, she did get right back into bed and slept, only to discover the next morning that her front door had been blown in鈥�
A Visit to Granny鈥檚 Granny

鈥淎re you very old, Granny?鈥� Olivia and Sarah looked worried. 鈥榊es I am, I was born seventy years ago鈥�. I paused, as Sarah and Olivia鈥檚 mouths dropped open in wonder at such a large number. They both looked worried. 鈥淏ut鈥� I added quickly, 鈥淚 hope that I will live much longer鈥�. They both looked happier! 鈥淭ell me about when you were a little girl,鈥� said Olivia. 鈥淒id you visit your Granny just like we visit you?鈥� 鈥淵es, I did, every week鈥�, I said 鈥渁nd I always had a lovely time.鈥�
鈥淭ell us about it鈥�, Olivia and Sarah chorused, 鈥淧lease, Please, Granny.鈥�
鈥淲ell my Grandma (I called my Granny 鈥楪randma鈥� and not 鈥楪ranny鈥� like you call me) lived quite a long way away. My Mummy had no car because it was wartime. Then cars were only allowed to be used for emergencies so we always had to go on the 鈥榖us鈥�. 鈥淲as it a big bus?鈥� asked Sarah. 鈥淵es it was a big, green double decker 鈥� that鈥檚 a bus with an upstairs, you know 鈥� and we had to go on two of them and walk quite a long way too. I鈥檒l tell you about one particular visit鈥�.
鈥淥ne Saturday, when I was about eight years old my mummy said 鈥楢nn, would you like to go and stay for the night at your Grandma鈥檚?鈥欌�� 鈥淏y myself?鈥� I asked. 鈥淵es, I will put you on the second bus in Watford and I鈥檒l give you the right fare for you to give to the conductor and she will tell you where to get off. You know the way from the bus to Grandma鈥檚 house very well, don鈥檛 you?鈥�
鈥淚 felt very grown up and responsible. My Mummy trusted me to be sensible. Just like your Mummy expects you to be,鈥� I said to Olivia. 鈥淪he too told me not to talk to strangers and not to dawdle but to go straight to Grandma鈥檚 house and only to cross the road at the special crossing.
I was very excited and got ready for my journey. I polished my leather school satchel and packed my nightie, my favourite Scottie dog toy, my toothbrush, a clean pair of knickers and my purse with the bus fare in it. As she had promised, my Mummy put me on the bus in Watford and she asked the conductor to put me off at the stop near to Woolworths which was opposite to my Grandma鈥檚 road.鈥�
鈥淭he conductor rang the bell twice and the bus moved off. I smiled and waved to Mummy. I pretended very hard not to be at all worried but, really, I was a bit scared. I wondered what would happen to me if the conductor forgot me. Luckily, she didn鈥檛 forget and shouted out 鈥楢nn, this is your stop, careful as you go, duckie!鈥� I crossed the road at the crossing as Mummy had told me.
To get to Grandma鈥檚 house I knew that I had to go straight up the road opposite the large Woolworth鈥檚 until I got to number 18 on the right hand side.鈥� But on that particular day, I had a problem. There was a big barrier fencing off an enormous hole in the middle of Grandma鈥檚 road.鈥�
鈥溾�橝 Jerry bomb fell here last night鈥� said a nice policeman and he showed me the way round the crater. I ran as fast as I could up the road. The door to Grandma鈥檚 house was broken off and was propped against the wall.鈥� 鈥溾�橤randma, Grandma,鈥� I shouted 鈥楢re you all right?鈥� Grandma came to meet me, she looked a bit pale but said 鈥榊es, I鈥檓 fine, just a bit shaken. There was an air raid last night but I don鈥檛 like those horrid damp air raid shelters so I stayed in my own bed. I thought that if I am going to be killed by a bomb, I鈥檇 rather die in my own bed.鈥� She said bravely. 鈥楤ut,鈥� with a shaky voice, she went on, 鈥榯he bomb shot me up into the air, out of bed and onto the floor. I landed with quite a thump! I wasn鈥檛 hurt much so I got back into bed and went to sleep. When I came downstairs this morning I was very surprised to find that I had no front door and all the windows were broken. What a lucky woman I am that the bomb didn鈥檛 hurt me.鈥欌��
鈥溾�橶hat a lucky girl I am,鈥� I said and gave her a big hug and we settled down to some hot, buttered toast with Marmite. My Grandma always saved her precious butter ration for me.鈥� 鈥淚 expect you would save your butter ration for me too,鈥� said Olivia quietly, 鈥淵es, I expect that I would,鈥� I said....
END
I would greatly appreciate any factual information regarding bombs dropped in North Watford, Hertfordshire during WWII - dates, precise location, etc.

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