Re: Questions.

Isobel Jenkins (I.Jenkins@EDUCATION.LEEDS.AC.UK)
Fri, 17 Oct 1997 16:37:52 +0100 

Hello Wilson Stuart School
Here are some responses to your questions. I am Isobel. I was a small child
during the second world War. I lived in the North of England in a mining
area near Newcastle upon Tyne. The Tyne, about 10 miles away from my little
town, was quite heavily bombed
>
>WHAT WERE YOUR FEELINGS LIKE WHEN YOU HEARD AIR RAID SIRENS.
>I can remember the feeling of terror in the pit of my stomach when i heard
the siren.Indeed when the war was over the siren continued to be used -- but
now for celebrations. On New Year's Eve at midnight the siren was used to
mark the New Year. I still felt the terror even though the war was over. I
don't know why I was so afraid as I was not even five years old when the
main air raids happened. I think my mother and grandmother must have been
afraid and their fear communicated itself to me



WAS YOU EVACUATED AND IF SO WAS IT AN ADVENTURE?
I was not evacauted as we were supposed to live in a safe area. Two sisters
from London were evacuated to a house near ours. The girls were about my age
and I thought it was wonderful to have some playmates. There were no
children living near me. They spoke with London accents at first and this
caused problems at school until they learned to cahnge their accent ot
something nearer our local 'Geordie' accent. They seemed quite happy even
though they lived with two very elderly ladies who frightened me!

DID YOU FIND RATIONING HARD TO COPE WITH NOT HAVING THE THINGS YOU LIKE THE
>MOST AS MUCH AS YOU DID BEFORE.
 I was only little so rationing did not affect me much. My mother had the
hard task of keeping us reasonably well fed. My grandfather grew a lot of
vegetable in our big garden-- so I can't remember any problems. People were
supposed to be better fed during the war than before it or since. As their
was no other food to but except the rations and these provided a basis well
balanced diet.We would eat bread and dripping and Marmite--these were lovely
and tasty.Do you know what these are?
>
>WAS IT HARD TO RATION YOUR SWEETS?
I never knew what it was like to go into a shop and buy sweets when I wanted
to. You had a monthly sweet ration and in the case of our family sweets were
bought at the beginning of the month/ enjoyed and there were no more until
the next ration.
Sweet shops had no sweets on the shelves. Only old advertisements and boxes.
 It was not until I was about 10 years old that I first walked into a sweet
shop to buy sweets just when I wanted to!
>
>WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR ANDERSON SHELTER?
>
we had an Anderson shelter in the garden but I don't think we ever used
it.it was very cold and damp. We had a steel air raid shelter in our dining
room which was like a large table with a flat steel top. In times of danger
we children had our beds underneath this 'table'.I remember waking up
underneath it!
>
>
>WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO WEAR A GAS MASK.
>It was horrible - it smelled of rubber and was hot. I don't think I ever
needed to wear mine. We had a large one to put my baby brother in. It was
like a carry cot and covered him completely! He's a very clever professor now!
>
>WAS THE WAR LIKE A GAME TO YOU.
>
yes it was with Hitler as the evil villain! The older children taught us
rude songs about Hitler and the other Nazi leaders! It's only now that I am
anadult and a grannie myself that i realise how terrible it must have been
for the adults. They were really sacred that the Geramns would invade England.
Kees in Holland actually had Germans living in his house --- and he
experienced much more dangerthan I did.

 Good luck to you all
 From Isobel Jenkins

>
>======================
>Wilson Stuart School
>wilson@rmplc.co.uk
>Karen Player - teacher
>
>





-----------------------------------------
Isobel Jenkins
School of Education
University of Leeds
Leeds LS2 9JT

Direct line 0113 233 4585
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