[Canberra Man]

I was nine when Neville Chamberlain gave that message. If it hadn't have been so serious,it would have been amusing to watch my mother (Dad was out at a pigeon fanciers meeting) she had my year old brother in one arm and with other she was putting all sort of things into and out of a suitcase and shouting for my father. Where she was thinking of going, no one knows! To make things worse, the sirens had sounded and dad came running in to tell her everything was OK.
Schools were closed and teachers were on a roster, visiting childrens houses, where several children would meet together for makeshift lessons. The schools were closed while windows were strengthened and shelters and blast wall were built, then it was back to school proper! I still think, the education we got in those war time days was infinitely better that the tripe they dish out now. There were no half witted goody goodies or the stupid brainless PC Brigade, I don't think they deserve capitals!!!! My school, South Parade at Grimsby was being rebuilt, so we were sent to an old school, reopened and cleaned up, about three miles away on the other side of town, we walked, in all weathers, there were no buses in those days, we were a damn sight healthier than the poor articles of today and despite the war, we had a better education. We looked forward to air raid, no lessons, down in the shelters playing word games, oh dear the all clear has gone! For some reason, in 1942, the Germans decided to experiment on Grimsby and a couple more towns with the fiendish butterfly bomb, many children, adults and animals were killed by these terror weapons. I'll carry on another time.

Ken