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Growing Up In North London & Hackney During The War

As I was not born until 1941 I have not got too many memories about the war. My family were bombed out from their upstairs flat in Upper Edmonton when I was just turned 2 years old. My mother said it was lucky that I was teething and in bed with my parents, as the bomb came right through the roof and just the end of the cot, and I would have been killed if I had been sleeping in the cot. We had to go and stay in my Grandmother's flat in Clapton Common for about 18 months, during which time my younger brother, Colin, was born. When I was about 3 and a half years old we all moved into a 3bedroomed house in Tottenham, London. He house seemed really big to me and I was really pleased to find out that there was a small garden to play in. There was an air-raid shelter at the back of the garden, but we never used it, as my mother was afraid to go in there. The war ended when I was four years old and I remember the big street party in the road where I lived. There were long tables right down the street, all set out with heaps of food and drinks, and masses of people. My Mother had made me a long dress and bonnet out of an old dress that once belonged to my Grandmother, and my Father made me a crook with a blue bow tied round it, and I was dressed up as 'Bow Peep'.
Lots of the adults were saying 'doesn't that little girl look lovely' but I was quite shy and just about managed to answer. There were two pianos at the side of the street and two men were playing loud music and my father joined in with them on his accordion. Lots of people were singing and some were dancing. I danced around with several other small children. My Mother took my small brother home quite early as he was tired and crying, but I stayed with my Father for quite a long time. We went home tired and exhausted after having had a lovely time. I can remember queuing up at shops when food was short, both during and after the war and sometimes it was long wait just to get some small item, that was not very nice to eat at all.
Frances Peerles

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