Bygone Days - the 40's
			"It was wartime and when the air-raid were coming the sirens were heard and most people had to go out for shelter in their air-raid shelters. This was a hole dug out in their garden with corrugated sheeting over the top then the soil put on top of that. There would be whole families in these little holes" ….."I was called up to learn to be a fitter, which I did pass. I was then sent to work as a war worker in Fords Factory at Manchester. This factory was making Merlin Engines for spit-fires which were used throughout the war. Living in Manchester where I was working I experienced a lot of bad air-raids by the German aircraft. They bombed a church which was full at the time, there were no survivors, also lots of big warehouses were destroyed. Above all of this destruction and fatalities there was a wonderful community spirit everyone helped each other. At this time there were quite a lot of Americans stationed near were I was at Flixto, Manchester and they had socials and dances which we were all invited to because we were war workers, so there were some good times. The day that the war finished we all ran out from work and went to celebrate by dancing in the streets" …"During the war the air-raids were frightening and as we lived in an industrial area, the coal-mines, Hitler would bomb us frequently. One night in an air-raid 13 incendiary bombs dropped on our house in Fourth Street, Wheatley Hill. The stairs were alight. Fortunately we all escaped. The firemen were there, but they couldn't do there job for all the people in the street looking for souvenirs of the incendiary bombs. It was like getting some sort of prize. It dropped on our house and we didn't get one piece. …"During the war we had an Alsation dog called Lady. The Air-raid Wardens would come and collect here to patrol the fields around Ludworth looking for German Pilots who might have parachuted out of their planes. She would go with them obediently so long as they didn't shine their torches in her face, then she would attack them" …"I can remember when Wheatley Hill was bombed. My mother put us all into the cupboard under the stairs rather that go into the air-raid shelter as she was baking corned beef pies for my dad coming in from the pit and didn't want them to spoil. I was more concerned about my dad coming home from pit and the house being bombed. We never felt fear of dying". …"As everything was rationed we appreciated any luxuries. I can remember a visitor coming from Australia and brought a big tin of biscuits, something we had never seen". .."men would play pitch and toss on Ludworth golf links on Sunday afternoon, the police would raid their den and chase them around the village" …"I can remember.--- A landmine dropped at Seaham now the site of Phoenix Hotel. --My mother swimming in Seaham Harbour. --- My father being brought to Scotland due to injuries sustained at Anzio Italy. --- Dancing in the streets at the end of the War dressed in Red White and Blue. …"My earliest memory occurred when I was 7 years old. My mam and I went to live in Dover, where my Dad was a regular soldier stationed ;in Dover Castle. He was due to go to Egypt and we were going too. When the then Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, came on the radio and sad war was declared. My Dad was sent to France with the B.E.F. and we went back home to Gateshead. I never saw my Dad again until the war ended in 1945 as he was wounded and captured at Dunkirk." …" As everything was rationed, we didn't get much for Christmas. I got a Smokers Chocolate Cabinet, which contained chocolate papers, matches, cigarettes and cigars. I ate the lot before lunch and was violently sick" …"Sweets were rationed so we ate what was available, such as raw carrots, cocoa and sugar mixed, winkles, a three cornered ice lolly called Eldorado, liquorice root, and broken biscuits.
	Bygone Days