Coming back to the morning after the blitz, as I said we had no electricity or water. Soon after we emerged from the shelter, as if by magic, Grandpap arrived with a hurricane lamp. Mum managed to boil some water from the rain water tank which most of our type of houses had on top of the coal house. She boiled it on the coal fire in the living room and thereafter, until the electricity was restored, we “ made do ” with meals and drinks cooked on the fire and for light we used the hurricane lamp and candles. Grandpap and Nan had been bombed out that night. Well, burned out to be exact as it was an incendiary bomb that did the damage. Grandpap, Nan & family were down the Rudge shelter in Spon St. that night and the only living creature in the house was Ginger the cat. Unfortunately he was a victim of Hitler’s wrath but that information was also witheld from me at the time. Great-Grandma ( Little Grandma), Fred and Nan moved into our house for a while but Grandpap stayed in the Rudge shelter and after a short time Nan joined him down there. Uncle Len was also there as they all served in the Civil Defence and were on duty there each night. This was as well as doing their regular job during the day for the Council. Fred and Little Gran stayed with us until they moved into a rented house in Windsor St. The next thing I remember was Christmas. I was sleeping in the downstairs back room then, as Mum thought it was warmer to sleep there than in the shelter and if there were any sirens we could get out to the shelter in good time. My Dad often sang me to sleep if I was restless, with different lullabies and songs. He had done this since I was a baby whenever possible.He usually sang two lullabies “ Go to Sleep My Baby” or “ With a Toora Loora Loora Loora Lye” This particular night he sang “ Silent Night” to me. I thought it was so beautiful and whenever I hear it now it always reminds me of that time. I suppose I must have been asleep before he got to the second verse as I can’t remember him singing it. That Christmas was one of the nicest that I can remember. I had my usual pillowcase full of toys. Who would ever know that there was a war on ? << less