大象传媒

As a child in war time Britain I remember many vivid stories, but one particularly poignant memory stands out well above the rest...

Buzz bombs were heard regularly overhead. My two brothers and I were aware that when the buzzing stopped the bomb would strike, causing untold devastation.....
One particular day my two brothers and I were in the kitchen with our mother when we heard the familiar buzzing and droning of these bombs....my mother suddenly became very calm, I can remember the scene well...her long black hair plaited and coiled above each ear (the fashion in those days)...she quickly pushed my two brothers and I beneath the solid kitchen table hoping this would protect us should we be hit by the dreaded bomb....I still remember the calmness that my mother showed, obviously praying we would all be fine.....my two brothers and I looking up at her for protection in our young years. (our bottoms protruding the other side of the table).....We heard a terrific thud and waited for what seemed hours, but must have been minutes for the explosion, which never came....this bomb had buried itself in a patch of ground not more than 9 feet sqaure amidst the houses and shops in the area....we were safe....my mothers prayers had been answered.........

As a child in wartime Britain, I remember vividly the sweet rationing (4 ozs sweets per week)..one coupon on our ration book to be cut out carefully by the confectioner.

Another memory was sharing a boiled egg with my younger brother on a Saturday for they were also rationed.

Buying sugar....my mother would open the blue paper bags and open up the seams on the bag to reach the final grains of sugar inside....nothing was wasted...Fortunately, living in the country we were able to eat apples, plums, walnuts, pears available from friends with gardens in the area.

Memories of children arriving from London-evacuues with labels attached and attending our school.....we heard stories of the bombing in London from them. One related how a terrific blast had blown the front door from its' hinges transporting it all the way down their Victorian style corridor.

My father was involved with the ARP Air Raid Patrol. He would often be out at night, collecting his tin helmet from the back of the door before going out.....we thought he was brave...searching for enemy action in our little market town....seachlights looking for planes....

Other memories involved lorries coming along taking down all the iron railings surrounding local gardens, these were needed to melt down to make weapons to invade Hitler.

Our kitchen and that of friends seemed to be a hub of activity during summer months, bottling and preserving fruit, even tomatoes, apples, pears.......We only seeemed to have oranges at Christmastime as they were almost unheard of in war-time..In fact, many children did not know what a banana was...indeed, after the war some children had no idea what to do with them. "Should they cut the peel off or peel them with a knife". Toys at Christmas time were usually hand made or hand-me downs from older cousins....I received loads of rag dolls....my younger brother a wheelbarrow made by our Godfather....from bits of wood..a wooden cotton reel for the chimney..and painted in blue,yellow and red...sweaters were made from unravelled sweaters, wool washed and re-knitted into fair isle patterns...yes, in war time we certainly were not wasteful as we are today....we, in our little flat at the rear of the shoe shop did not even have electricity, but had gas lighting or candles...ironing clothes was achieved by using old flatirons placed on the open fire, rubbed to clean with a cloth....no refrigeration or freezers...food shopping was every day, not once per week or month as now. Washing was cleaned by use of an old copper.....rubbish placed beneath, lit, then the water bubbled with grated hard soap to clean our clothes..mother never complained.

Mickey Mouse gas mask drill at school..Despite what must have been hardships for our parents we had a happy childhood.....everyone semed to accept their lot and everyone helped others when it was necessary.

We had friends who were farmers...occasionally we would be able to eat 1 rasher of bacon each as a treat....as the war droned on people would sit by their radios....a large wooden contraption with an accumulator inside (which had to be recharged every so often)...and then...great news. Winston Churchill announcing the end of the war "This was our finest hour"

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