Sunday 2 June 2013

THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE ON 8TH MAY!

I intended to post this photo on VE Day, 8th May, but could I find it? Of course not.
But I've just discovered it while I was looking through my Family Photos file so here it is, a bit late...
 You couldn't do this nowadays, you'd have to get Police permission to close the road, a Council OK and probably lots of other 'Permissions' as well. I expect we'd had the bonfire in the road by then...
This is obviously a commercial photo and would have been 'all' the children who lived in the road, the photo taken from an upstairs window. I'm sitting at the table next to my ginger-haired friend who's wearing a paper hat and we're facing the camera; looking from the left there are two ladies standing then two seated children in front of them - that's us! I have my skimpy plaits which probably pleased me no end...
I thought that, now the war had ended, I could go on the bus into Croydon and buy some red, white and blue ribbon...some hopes. The first time I heard a works siren for dinnertime break shook me a bit, why was the siren sounding???  Isn't it odd, the things that remain with you?


4 comments:

Bernard said...

Lucky you having that. I was too young to remember it and as far as I know, nobody in our road took any photos. :(
However I do remember watching this on our 12" B&W telly. - Sixty years ago today, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in Westminster Abbey.

crafty cat corner said...

Wonderful picture Sylve.
The thing that immediately struck me was all of the hedges in the front gardens. These are sadly missing in most streets now. They used to be so good for the wild life, I actually remember stick insects, I don't expect many children even know what they are now.
Briony
xx

Sylve said...

Briony, there are no iron railings, though. Gone for the war effort.I remember hedges as being dirty, especially laurels, from the soot from coal fires! My son was deputed to look after the school stick insects when he was very young. I had never seen them before and put them on the privet hedge and that was that.
Bernard, weren't films in very short supply being needed for the War Effort? It's surprising my parents could afford to pay for something 'unnecessary' like this photo but I'm glad they did. Didn't see the Coronation; no TV, no electricity, no house only a caravan on a site. How expectations have changed in 60 years.

Kath said...

how lovely to have this record of an important time in history, as well as holding your childhood memories.