I then took Sylvia and went to stay in Millom for a short while because my husband had been posted there. I was billetted with Lil Goss and her family and we were very happy. Then I heard that my mother had been involved in an accident. It seemed that my uncle had died and dad and mum went to London for the funeral. Dad drove a small car with a folding top which was down because the weather was hot. In the accident mum was thrown out of the car onto the road. She was taken to hospital, and as soon as she was well enough she told the doctor that she wanted to go home. “You must have someone to look after you,” he said. “That will be no problem. My daughter Winnie will come back and look after me,” she answered. I returned and found mum in a really bad state with her body black and blue all over due to hitting the road. So I nursed her back to health. That winter was very cold and the shop was very draughty due to the floor in the doorway being worn down so badly which allowed the wind to blow in. The film “Gone With the Wind” had arrived in London, and as there was no way we could go to see it I borrowed the book from the library. When mum and dad wanted to go to bed I had to go to bed too, but sat up and read my book using a torch. By the time I had read the book I was feeling far from well. One day Sylvia, who was aged about four was with me and we went shopping in the village. On the way back to the shop I had such a terrible pain in my chest that I couldn’t walk, so I sat on the kerb and sent Sylvia to fetch my father. He came and helped me back. The doctor was called and I was put to bed. I then realised that sitting in bed reading night after night with the cold wind blowing in was the cause of my serious illness - the book title was rather apt seeing I had nearly ‘gone with the wind!’ The doctor said that I couldn’t live any longer in the shop and eventually a small cottage which had just become vacant was found. The day we moved it was snowing heavily and the doctor said I was not to be moved until the cottage was very warm. So dad stoked the fires there and soon the place was very warm. There was a small fireplace in my bedroom too so dad kept it well stoked. I was very ill and mum and dad were very worried especially as Alf was in India still with the Air Force. Several days later the lady from the hardware shop came to see me. She said, “You will have your climax tonight and after that the pneumonia should ease.” That was the first time I knew what was wrong with me. Dad was wonderful. He stoked the fire continuously and gave me his walking stick, telling me to bang on the floor with it if I needed help during the night. Mum looked after me and was so wonderfully kind and understanding though extremely worried of course. Time went on and very slowly I got better, but could not completely get well again. The doctor said that I was probably unconsciously worried about Alf who had recently been in the accident when his plane crashed and he broke his back. So he advised me to get an easy job to keep my mind occupied. I found a job as a lady’s companion, to an elderly lady living in Godalming. I had no idea what would be required of me but I took Sylvia with me and we had a happy time with Mrs Mansell. This lady owned a very big property at Epsom which was taken over for the Fire Department as part of the war effort, so she was renting the Godalming house. After some time with her she said, “My son who is an officer in the Air Force would like to come and see you.” She didn’t say what for. When he came he said that his mother had a very high opinion of me but she had to leave that house because the lease had expired. She wanted to be sure that although she would have to live with his family for a while, that I would live with her again when another suitable house was found. He owned the Scotch Tearooms in Godalming and the staff were ruining his business - would I go and run it for him? “Oh no,” I said, “I know nothing about running such a business and I have just started Sylvia in a school. I couldn’t take her and collect her if I had such a job, and she is so happy there. And where would we live?” He said that his mother was sure I could run the business successfully, and he accepted her judgement completely. He explained that above the Tearooms which served lunches and teas but was not busy because of the war, was a bakery where his cook Ethel baked the bread and cakes. Above that was a large flat which he would furnish for me. So I had a look at the building, but said,”No, I’m sorry but I don’t think Sylvia and I would be happy in such a large, rambling building.” So he then said that he was sure he could persuade Ethel to live there with us. “She is a very nice person, about your age, and don’t worry about Sylvia getting to school. I will employ a young person to look after her. And the present staff will go and you can choose your own staff.” After much thought I said that if Ethel would live with us I would do it. On certain days cakes were for sale and queues would wait for us opening. Cakes were a luxury and many were sent to sons in the forces overseas. I did a few lunches but food was still scarce. I met and liked Ethel. She said to me, “Win, I have needed a new stove for ages but the boss won’t get me one. Since he is so keen for you to come here, maybe if you asked for a stove he will get one.” I did this and a new stove arrived. I never saw Mrs Mansell again as my life led in different ways. After I had been in the Godalming Tearooms for some time I received a telegram with the message, “Arriving in Bookham on Wednesday. Love, Alf.” This confused me because I knew that my husband was in hospital in Bombay because he had broken his back in an air crash. So the only other Alf was his father, and I thought it very strange that he would send such a message. Quickly I contacted the wife of Mr Mansell and she said she would come and take over the business until I could sort out what was happening. We got to Bookham on Tuesday and I explained to my four-year-old daughter that I didn’t know for sure who was coming, but thought it must be grandad because I had received an Airmail from daddy from India only two days before. Sylvia was sure it would be daddy and on Wednesday she stationed herself at the window and patiently waited. Eventually a taxi arrived and imagine my surprise when my husband, with the help of the taxi driver, got out! He was in plaster with a very thick cast from neck to hips and moved with difficultly. We were all so very excited. Before leaving India he had written several Aerograms addressed to me and left them for a friend to post - one every week. He knew that I would worry if I knew he was on a ship as the enemy targeted them and many were lost. He had come by ship and had his Indian bearer, a kind of valet, travelling with him to assist him. What a marvellous reunion that was! He kept us enthralled for days with his flying stories and strange experiences since he had left England. The war and what was going on over there he wouldn’t mention as secrecy was absolutely vital. He brought with him some green bananas for Sylvia who had never seen one before. They were put up on the mantelpiece to ripen, and every day she went to see if they were ripe enough to eat. One day in her impatience, she asked us, “When are they going to turn red?” The only fruit she knew of up until that time such as cherries and tomatoes, always turned from green to red when ripe! |
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