Open Writing

The nearest bomb damage to our house in Reed Street was about half a mile away in South Eldon Street and Taylor Street. The aftermath of the bombing provided a new source of activity and excitement for youngsters like myself. The transport system of the town was disrupted and trolley buses could no longer get around Tyne Dock or along King Street.

We used to go to the junction of Barnes Road and Eldon Street, or near the Pavilion Cinema to watch the buses being de-trollied, manoevred and re-connected to the trolleys. This operation required a degree of skill with a long pole, and if the operator was not experienced, it could take a great deal of time and cause a lot of amusement for the watching crowd. Cheering and booing were not unusual.

The bombing also gave birth to a new game called 'shrapnel hunting'. The day after a bombing, gangs of kids would tour the streets and back lanes looking for any metal fragments that might be redundant parts of bombs or shells. One morning after an overnight raid, we found a strange looking piece of metal in the back lane of Alice Street.

All excited, we picked it up and asked a passing docker, "Do you think this dropped off a German aeroplane last night?"

"More likely a f...ing English rag and bone man this morning!" was his crude reply.

We also used to go 'crater viewing' - a game which involved trying to find and view any bomb craters. Our enjoyment at this game was however restricted by the efficiency of the local A.R.P.wardens, who usually quickly fenced off any bomb craters or damaged property.

One of the best we ever found was in the field between the Brinkburn Recreation field and Harton Dyeworks. It must have been about 60 feet in diameter and had an endless bottom. It was like a magnet to us and, oblivious to the danger, we played for hours.

A more placid wartime activity for us was watching the operation of the many barrage balloons throughout the town. These were hydrogen-inflated and shaped like mini Zeplins or airships. They were used throughout the country to deter enemy aircraft from flying low over industrial areas. Attached to land by a strong wire, many were used on South Tyneside.

The nearest one to us was at the junction of West Park Road and Dean Road. I believe the mini-barracks there also housed a search-light unit. Whenever possible, along with other youngsters, I used to go there to watch the balloon being let out and then brought in. We always hoped something exciting might happen and one day it did! For some reason, the balloon wire snapped and it went absent without leave. We watched it drift in the wind and followed it as it slowly deflated and lost height.

For anyone not knowing what was happening, it must have been highly amusing, seeing army personnel in a jeep followed by a crowd of children racing along Dean Road with their eyes skyward. The deflated balloon eventually landed on a building near Victoria Road, wrapping itself comprehensively around the roof and walls. Firemen and servicemen attempted to rescue the delinquent and damaged balloon while police controlled the small crowd and we stood back and enjoyed the entertainment.

Another major development of the war was on 7th December 1941. I didn't understand it at the time but I remember the family talking about the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbour. Listening to the adults, I gathered that America had joined the war on our side, and this meant that we stood a better chance of defeating Hitler.

Rationing, of both food and clothes, played a major part in our lives during the early war years. Food was scarce and everybody was issued with a ration book and queues formed for everything. A ration book however, is no good if there is nothing left at a particular shop. If this happened, we used to rush off and find another queue to stand in. The Reader's Digest (1998) states that one person's ration in 1941 was:

Bacon or Ham 4 oz
Sugar 8 oz
Butter 2 oz
Cooking fat 8 oz
Meat (by price) 1/- (shilling)
Tea 2 oz
Cheese 1 oz
Jam 2 oz

plus 16 points a month, for other rationed goods, subject to availability.

Because of rationing, I remember being 'blackmailed' into eating certain foods. Crusts of bread allegedly made my hair curly, carrots helped me to see in the dark, and fish improved my intelligence.

I also recall going shopping with my mother and watching the shop assistants cutting butter and cheese from large casks and weighing loose tea and sugar from huge packets. Products changed during the war. White bread became grey and egg powder came in tins. SPAM, which allegedly stood for 'Specially Prepared American Meat' flooded the market.

However, undoubtedly the favourite meal during the war years was fish and chips. There were at least five fish and chip shops within 400 yards of our Reed Street home and the one at the corner of Marshall Wallis Road still exists, sixty years later. Our favourite one was Smiths in Berwick Street; its endless queues evidencing its popularity. If we could afford it, we might buy a bottle of Evans lemonade to accompany our favourite meal. Whatever happened to the makers of that wonderful drink after the war?

To help feed the poor during wartime, emergency supply stations were opened in several areas of the town. These were commonly known as 'Soup Kitchens' and we used the one at the corner of Eldon Street and Bertram Street on many occasions. It sold basic, cheap, lunchtime take-away meals with customers providing their own plates and basins etc. St Jude's Church Hall in Alice Street was also opened as a place where good value lunchtime meals could be purchased and eaten on the premises.