大象传媒

Entered in behalf of Mrs Margaret Heselwood by Gemma Moore volunteering at Dronfield Library,

We were married in the May and war was in the September. I remember we waited to get married until Charles earned five pounds a week and our house was near Havant. It was very new and it was all young people, well who could afford a house but you didn't get chance to get to know anybody.
And the garden, we were both very interested and we planned it all out and the next moment Charles was in the Services and I was stuck out there. War broke out whilst we were there and there was quite a large old house rather like this and my neighbour and I used to walk there, quite a long walk and I remember us all sitting there knitting socks. I remember the Sunday war was declared and about two hours later from Havant there came these marching feet. I went out in to the front garden and Sheila from next door said 'what is it' and I said 'well war has just been declared' and she said 'what are you so upset about'. There was a continual stream of soldiers going towards Portsmouth. They looked so young. I can still see. I can still remember thinking 'what are you marching to'. I don't think anybody had any comprehension what war was going to be like. Well you don't do you.

Then there would be rumours coming about. One night people were in the shelters and there was a rumour, I never verified it, that there was a plan to invade the Isle of Wight that was enough to put Portsmouth on alert. You met all sorts in the shelters, all walks of life. I remember Frankie Howard, not the Frankie Howerd, she was a girl Frankie, came on a bike, I couldn't ride a bike properly, mother thought they were dreadful but we went out and we ended up in a shelter that was full of fire fighters, volunteer fire fighters and they'd raided an off license, so yes quite a party. We did have some brilliant times and we went to the Savoy. You had fourpence you saved it for tea at Savoy or the Locarno. I met a lovely Portuguese sailor called Jose something, a.l.h.o Portuguese. He didn't have a word of English, I certainly didn't have any Portuguese. But he was very good looking and a very good dancer. I loved to dance, Mother was horrified. I understand in the war he got quite high up in the navy. Young people today think they are having a good time but they have no idea. You did things, what you could afford.