Page 19 - The Spirit of Christmas 1940

The Spirit of Christmas 1940

for their wives and girlfriends. But business had been slowing
down lately, especially with the earlier bombing runs.

“Are you ready for home, Rosie? I’ll walk you back, make sure
you get back safe.”

Rosie smiled at Jimmy’s concern for her. “I will be in a few
minutes Jimmy, I just need to get the last of the flowers in, cover
up and then lock away the cart.”

The station gave the traders a secure area to lock away their
stands. Although they all paid Mr Crispin tuppence a week for the
priviledge, it saved the hassle of lugging everything home each
day. It also kept their goods safe from any light fingers. Although
the communities were like big families and trusted each other,
there was always the chancers who would try to nick anything that
wasn’t nailed down.

Rose finished lashing down the tarpaulin on the cart and Jimmy
walked around to the cart handles to push it in to the lock-up when
suddenly the air-raid warning began wailing.

“Bloody hell, Hitler’s getting earlier and earlier, that man needs
to get a hobby. C’mon Rosie, down the tube.”

Jimmy grabbed Rose’s hand and they ran to the stairs that led to
the undergound platform. Down in the underground, people sat
waiting for the imminent bangs to begin. Old bunk beds lined the
walls of the platform. Although they were meant to be for ticket
owners, they were always given up for the old, lame and children.
Church Street always looked after it’s own.

For the next hour, bombs could be heard exploding in the
distance. It seemed that the station wasn’t in the flightpath of
the swarm of bombers that night. Still, you could never be sure,
knowing the Luftwaffe, one of them could have split off from the
pack looking for an unsuspecting target. But for the time being,

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