I’ll describe the marvellous institution of Cluttons of 1940 in detail elsewhere, but refer to it here to set the scene of the Westminster Home Guard. Someone misguidedly told me that going to university during the war was a waste of time, with evacuation the degree would be worthless and I would probably be called… Continue reading WW2,1940 to ’41, in order, Cluttons, Part 1 of 3
Author: jp
WW2, 1940 to 41, in order, Stratagems
The LDV, Railings And Carrots. This is the first in a series about The LDV, Home Guard and London 1940 ‘Stratagems’ Chambers Dictionary, offers terms to apply to Government chicanery, most of them apply at times of crisis, and never more than in 1940, when the LDV, the Local Defence Volunteers, was inaugurated. I believe… Continue reading WW2, 1940 to 41, in order, Stratagems
WW2, 1939 to ’40, in order, Evacuation Part 2
Lewes – A Place Apart In retrospect there was something almost magical about the months I spent there. I was not aware of this at the time, I was often unhappy, but who is sublimely happy all the time, contrast gives colour. Lewes, the Town, was the hub, but it was really the district which… Continue reading WW2, 1939 to ’40, in order, Evacuation Part 2
WW2, 1939 to ’40. in order, Evacuation Part 1
Encyclopaedia, make no mention of Evacuation, which affected 5 million children, in June ’39, disrupted families whose children were dragged off into the depths of the country, but also the poor devils who had to look after them. Evacuation is a sort of two way mirror, showing each group how the other lived. Not all… Continue reading WW2, 1939 to ’40. in order, Evacuation Part 1
Pre WW2, 1930 to ’39, in order, Sensitivity
Looking back to all those years from the late 20s until probably the 50s, I can’t believe how insensitive we were to the feelings of others, when we were happily living in our little bubble which was Briton. Today, young people would find it difficult to imagine a Britain where, apart from the docks, or… Continue reading Pre WW2, 1930 to ’39, in order, Sensitivity
Obscene Wages and Insurance
The Wages Today. I start with a disclaimer. Some of my family think I’m in my dotage. so take what I have to say with a pinch of salt. Donkey’s years ago when the lottery first started, arrogantly thinking I might win, I created a consortium to ensure that the family shared my luck, and… Continue reading Obscene Wages and Insurance
Random Thoughts No. 6
School reports. A grandfather proudly showed me the reports of his 7 year old grandson .I hadn’t the heart to tell him what I really thought. It was divided into 19 separate categories with type-written reports in each category, the smallest, music, was 19 words long, the longest was roughly 42 words, and the average,… Continue reading Random Thoughts No. 6
Pre WW2, !930 to 39, in Search of Progress, 1920 to2000 plus
What follows here, and several other posts in this vein, are narrow views of one person, not over-views determined by research. They are done mainly to determine how life has changed over 80 years. Take children; the phrase ‘children should be seen and not heard’, in its various forms, was a Victorian maxim people lived… Continue reading Pre WW2, !930 to 39, in Search of Progress, 1920 to2000 plus
Pre WW2,1930 to ’39. in order, Christian Science as I Found It
My Aunt became a Christian Scientist, influenced by an artist friend who lived in Manchester. She passed her ideas on to my mother and after a while my mother became a wishy-washy version herself, never quite at the heart of the movement, but reading a lot, which was a necessity, because Mrs Mary Baker-Eddy based… Continue reading Pre WW2,1930 to ’39. in order, Christian Science as I Found It
Pre WW2, 1930 to ’39, in order, Enforced Holidays 2
Floss was a handyman at Ramsgate’s huge funfair called Wonderland. He worked on the Big Dipper. Early every morning he sent two cars round the track loaded with sand bags, watching the reaction of the wooden structure as the car went round, to gauge any weaknesses. Next it was my turn for a free, if… Continue reading Pre WW2, 1930 to ’39, in order, Enforced Holidays 2