ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

During the war I was a schoolgirl in the Keighley area, and my memories are really of shortages: shortages of sweets mostly, but we were healthier, I believe. Because we were rationed there were limited supplies of sugar and cooking fats, which meant that we were leaner and meaner, but I think fitter. We didn’t suffer any bombing in Keighley, but my mother and I did make part of our cellar area into a small shelter, with a curtain up at the door and a trunk to sit on and a kettle and things like that to have a cup of tea in the night. We only ever used it once as I remember, and decided bed was more comfortable.
The war didn’t have too much effect on my schooling: it meant that I had to stay for school dinners certain days, which I didn’t like, but owing to shortage of food, there wasn’t always the opportunity to make a cooked dinner every day of the week. So that was my worst memory probably, and not being able to go away for the local week’s holiday to the seaside like I’d been used to doing.
I was about 12 when I learnt to dance. Our local sports and social club was affiliated to the biggest employers in Keighley, which were Prince Smith and Stells, which were making munitions by then. Saturday evenings were the night for a dance to raise funds for the amenities for their employees who were in the forces.
I had an uncle in the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Guard, my mother was weaving cloth, khaki and airforce blue, for the troops.
When we were at school we were given different colours of knitting wool and a pair of knitting needles and we made numerous pairs of socks, and mittens and scarves. I don’t know who ever got the opportunity to wear them, but I hope they enjoyed them and that they kept them warm.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.