My memories of the war years are manifold, said GeorgeWoolley who was born in 1933. I recall the air raid sheltersas we were marched to them; and watching the fighters inthe sky with puffs of smoke bellowing out of the cannonson the wings chasing the German planes across the sky.

The shelters we used were 200 yards from the school onStamford Park in ALTRINCHAM, CHESHIRE where the footballfield is now. I distinctly remember dad going out helpingthe ARP wardens when he came home from the coalfields inthe northeast.

The bombs that dropped in our town made a sharp impressionon my young mind, particularly the hole in the road in themorning. Three in fact landed in CHARTER ROAD, and threemore were dropped on Stamford Park.

The toffee factory in BROADHEATH was also hit. The cornershop that stood at the junction of Oakfield Road and MossLane comes to mind and the dog with a leg blown off. A smallgarden is there now in a memory that many locals don't knowabout.

I can remember all my mates at school and most of the teachers.Pop Evans was our form teacher, Mr Knowles took art, MissKeen took music, Joe Wood took woodwork, Mr Davies English,and science, I think Miss Mulhearn took biology.

In the class were John Winstanley, Ken Betts, the Cartertwins, big Billy Tofft, John Thomas and Bob Hargreaves.Our neighbours included Mrs Pinder next door, the Crispsisters, Elsie Milner, the Mills brothers at 44, Bob Hitchensand Alan Spilsbury.

Mr Cook and Doris Cooper had the two corner shops. TheIrelands had the Post Office and bread shop.

A family from up the road shared our cellar that had beenreinforced as a shelter where we all shared a large bedon air raid nights. The way that every one looked aftereach other was remarkable. The old lady who was the midwifeused to lay out the dead too. It was a much better BRITAINin those days.

George Woolley, 2002