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The radio set became our main source of news throughout the war. Not having mains electricity meant that we used a battery set. This required a large and rather expensive H.T. battery supplying up to 120 volts, a grid bias battery which supplied up to 9 volts and a 2-volt accumulator for the valve heaters. This latter battery was hired from Mr A’s shop at the bottom of Clifton Road, he came round at about fortnightly intervals to change it. The radio was on at breakfast time and I can recall special announcements such as the “Dam Busters Raid” and the “D-Day Landings”.

At teatime I used to enjoy “Children’s Hour” which was broadcast from 5 pm onwards on the ��ѿ��ý Service, this sometimes brought me in to conflict with my sister who came home from work at Waterlow’s shortly after that time. She wanted to listen to a forces variety programme called “Ack-ack, Beer-beer” (standing for Anti-Aircraft, Balloon Barrage) that was on the Light Programme. As Children’s Hour was only about 45 minutes long and my sister’s programme went on after mine had finished, a compromise was reached so that we changed over when Children’s Hour finished.

One other enduring memory of the wartime radio was the “V” sign drumbeat that was used by the B.B.C. in its service to occupied Europe. The repeated “Bom-Bom-Bom-Bom — (pause) - Bom-Bom-Bom-Bom” that went on for several minutes at a time was an eerie sound that, I understand, really annoyed the Germans. After the war I learned that the German Ministry Of Propaganda had even suggested that the sound represented the archaic German word “Viktoria”, a likely story from a regime that habitually used the word “Sieg” for “victory”.

At the start of the war I was too young to take much interest in the newspapers but I read about the progress of the war, as I grew older. I was always interested in articles about aircraft and ships, especially those of the navy. As the war progressed and the Allies began to push the Nazis back towards Germany, the frequent maps and pictures showing the advance were collected and put into a scrapbook.

There was another important use for old newspapers. As the supply of toilet paper became very difficult, they were cut into useful sized sheets and became “ersatz” toilet paper. Hard on the skin but very necessary.

Both my sister and I had “comic” magazines; initially I had “Tiny Tots” whilst my sister had “Film Fun”. During the war the shortage of these children’s magazines meant that to get another title it was necessary to relinquish one. I eventually had both “Film and Radio Fun” but I gave up one of these when my mother was offered Enid Blyton’s “Sunny Stories”, from the children’s books incorporating the “Famous Five”, Secret Seven” and “Magic Faraway Tree” stories. One chapter of each of several stories appeared in each edition as well as puzzles and competitions.

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