New member

[George Jenkins]

georgej
Hello everybody, I am George Jenkins; and I will be 81 on March 7th. I mentioned that because as all young people know, we like to bore you to death, bragging about our age. (Acually, I am always relieved when I wake up every morning). Seriously though; I mentioned it because I have just read the message from Maddie; aged 17, which proved to me what a wide audience Countdown has. Hi! Maddie, I remember when I was 17 and knew everything.

The best time of my life was when I became the youngest Engine Driver on the Southern Railway. I was 24 years of age, and it wasn't like work at all. Of course; the best time is now, with days filled with Golf, painting etc., and meeting every friday at Gillingham Golf Club, for tea and chips, and planning how we can shoot all the Polititions and get away with it.

I feel a bit nervous about joining in with the arguments etc. I have laughed at some of the comments, which were quite scathing about errors in Grammar, etc. And hope that the educated members will be gentle with me.
George Jenkins

[Heather Culpin]

Welcome George. It's about time we had someone else mature on here, and take no notice of those whipper-snappers. Does this mean you are not the oldest now Howard?

[Madelaine Jones]

Hi George!
Welcome to you too! It is great to meet all sorts of different people who are joined by their love of playing with words; living in a bubble of similar people is no fun. It's lovely to get a chance to speak to you, hopefully I'll see you around the forums!
Maddie

P.S. I certainly don't know everything, have you not seen what the media has to say on youths today? If the papers are right, it's a surprise I'm not a drunken delinquent without the ability to string a sentence together!

[Jimmy Gough]

Welcome! I'm 17 and know everything. Don't worry, those educated people aren't too bad.

[Hannah O]

Hello George! I also feel slightly nervous as a lot of the people here have been fans of Countdown for much longer than I have- I've always known it's been around, but I only started watching it properly last week! However, everyone has been very welcoming and patient, letting me ask lots of questions (some of which I might have asked before!) without getting fed up.

P.S. I'm only 16! Unless Madelaine and Jimmy are going to have their 18th birthdays this year, that makes me younger than both of them! However, I don't know everything. I thought Jimmy was a sensible adult up until I saw his post, so I'm surprised!

[Kai Laddiman]

Callum (Laddiman) is only 10.

[Phil Reynolds]

If you can see this, you're queer.

Guilty. And your point is...?

[Chris Corby]

Hello George and welcome, you can now play on-line dominoes with Howard Somerset

I am quite old too, in fact my father was in the RAF when Pontious was a pilot.........

[Peter Mabey]

Welcome, George - it's good to greet an old railwayman: though my gricing days are past now I still subscribe to the RCTS. (I'll be 83 in March, and have given up driving now.) Although I was trained for the aircraft industry (at Farnborough - hi, Chris!) I did have some railway experience, as I had a hand in the design of the Brush 1500 (BR Type 47) locomotive when Gloster Aircraft had run our of aeroplane work,

[Richard Priest]

Welcome to the forum George, good to have you - and you are in very good company being born on March 7th

[Matt Morrison]

If you can see this, you're queer.

Guilty. And your point is...?

Is there some link between sexuality and colour blindness I haven't heard about?
Because I can read it too and now I'm wondering if I'm denying myself true love.

[Phil Reynolds]

I can read it too and now I'm wondering if I'm denying myself true love.

Search your feelings, Luke. You know it to be true.

[Hannah O]

Callum (Laddiman) completely wiped the floor with me in a numbers-only game. I'm now assuming that the entire Laddiman family is made up of geniuses

[George Jenkins]

Welcome, George - it's good to greet an old railwayman: though my gricing days are past now I still subscribe to the RCTS. (I'll be 83 in March, and have given up driving now.) Although I was trained for the aircraft industry (at Farnborough - hi, Chris!) I did have some railway experience, as I had a hand in the design of the Brush 1500 (BR Type 47) locomotive when Gloster Aircraft had run our of aeroplane work,

Hi! Peter,
I hope this message reaches you on the correct page. As an Ancient newcomer to the electronic age (I am still living in the wind-up gramaphone era), I really need some help in pressing all the correct buttons. I think that I will have to enlist the help of my nine year old Great- Grand-Daughter to train me.
Your message brought back some happy memories of the smell of coal, steam and fire. I remember the Brushes, but never worked on them. When steam was almost at an end, I transferred to electric trains, but the job was never quite the same after that. A steam Locomotive seemed alive, and an electric train was only a fuse-box on wheels. However we can't stop progress.
I have never really retired in my mind, because I have so many nightmares about the railways. Mostly I'm on a heavy freight, and I can't stop, even with the brakes ful on. Another time I am off the track and driving accross a ploughed field. Another time I am stuck, short of steam, on a steep bank. I told the fireman to get off and push. I remember clearly the name of the fireman, it was Charlie Mealing, and he laughed when I told him about. he was also a Driver and sadly, dead, like most of my old mates.
If you are interested I will relate to you a typical trip with a heavy freight, which I think are the causes of my nightmares.
George Jemkins.

[George Jenkins]

Hi George!
Welcome to you too! It is great to meet all sorts of different people who are joined by their love of playing with words; living in a bubble of similar people is no fun. It's lovely to get a chance to speak to you, hopefully I'll see you around the forums!
Maddie

P.S. I certainly don't know everything, have you not seen what the media has to say on youths today? If the papers are right, it's a surprise I'm not a drunken delinquent without the ability to string a sentence together!

HI! Madelaine, although it cost me a couple of sleepless nights, I have finally solved the mystery of how to land on the same page as the rest of you clever young people. I will certainly sleep tonight. There are a couple of Emails floating about which I sent to you which should have appeared on this page, but I can't find them anywhere. I thought that I new everything when I was your age, but I do now because of my great age and experience. What I can't understand is why my disrespectful Nephew calls me a know-all, self opinionated old Git. Now! where did he get idea from? I love it though.
George Jenkins

[George Jenkins]

Hi George!
Welcome to you too! It is great to meet all sorts of different people who are joined by their love of playing with words; living in a bubble of similar people is no fun. It's lovely to get a chance to speak to you, hopefully I'll see you around the forums!
Maddie

P.S. I certainly don't know everything, have you not seen what the media has to say on youths today? If the papers are right, it's a surprise I'm not a drunken delinquent without the ability to string a sentence together!

HI! Madelaine, although it cost me a couple of sleepless nights, I have finally solved the mystery of how to land on the same page as the rest of you clever young people. I will certainly sleep tonight. There are a couple of Emails floating about which I sent to you which should have appeared on this page, but I can't find them anywhere. I thought that I new everything when I was your age, but I do now because of my great age and experience. What I can't understand is why my disrespectful Nephew calls me a know-all, self opinionated old Git. Now! where did he get idea from? I love it though.
George Jenkins

[George Jenkins]

Hi George!
Welcome to you too! It is great to meet all sorts of different people who are joined by their love of playing with words; living in a bubble of similar people is no fun. It's lovely to get a chance to speak to you, hopefully I'll see you around the forums!
Maddie

P.S. I certainly don't know everything, have you not seen what the media has to say on youths today? If the papers are right, it's a surprise I'm not a drunken delinquent without the ability to string a sentence together!

HI! Madelaine, although it cost me a couple of sleepless nights, I have finally solved the mystery of how to land on the same page as the rest of you clever young people. I will certainly sleep tonight. There are a couple of Emails floating about which I sent to you which should have appeared on this page, but I can't find them anywhere. I thought that I new everything when I was your age, but I do now because of my great age and experience. What I can't understand is why my disrespectful Nephew calls me a know-all, self opinionated old Git. Now! where did he get idea from? I love it though.
George Jenkins

[Kai Laddiman]

Hi George!

[Kai Laddiman]

Hi George!

[Kai Laddiman]

Hi George!

[Steven Tew]

Hi George,

I was feeling old and crusty at 49 so it's nice to see someone older than my dad on here.

[George Jenkins]

Hi George,

I was feeling old and crusty at 49 so it's nice to see someone older than my dad on here.

Hi Steven,
I may be nearly twice your age, but I don't feel it. I still like to chat the girls up. Girls over eighty years of age, I mean. Ah! what memories!

Georgie Porgy. (As they call me)

[George Jenkins]

Hi George!

Hi Kai,
I'm going to watch you mate, my Wife Olive loves you. whilst we were watching you on Countdown today-Tuesday 27th, she kept saying, oh! isn't he lovely. Grrrrrrrr.
George.

[George Jenkins]

Welcome to the forum George, good to have you - and you are in very good company being born on March 7th

Thank you Rich, and I find that March 7th comes round distressingly quicker as each year passes.
George

[George Jenkins]

Hello George and welcome, you can now play on-line dominoes with Howard Somerset

I am quite old too, in fact my father was in the RAF when Pontious was a pilot.........

Thank you Chris. Reading your message, and I can't stop laughing. If I pop off tonight they will wonder what I am smiling about.
George

[Ian Volante]

Hello! I'm 32, and by the time I'm your age, I'll know everything that's worth knowing

[Chris Corby]

Hello George and welcome, you can now play on-line dominoes with Howard Somerset

I am quite old too, in fact my father was in the RAF when Pontious was a pilot.........

Thank you Chris. Reading your message, and I can't stop laughing. If I pop off tonight they will wonder what I am smiling about.
George

George, don't laugh at my jokes - it only encourages me!

Don't pop off tonight either as it will make you the eligible for the 'member for the shortest time' award.



But if you do, could you seek out my Mum and ask her what she did with my premium bonds cos I never did find them. Thanks.

[George Jenkins]

Hello George! I also feel slightly nervous as a lot of the people here have been fans of Countdown for much longer than I have- I've always known it's been around, but I only started watching it properly last week! However, everyone has been very welcoming and patient, letting me ask lots of questions (some of which I might have asked before!) without getting fed up.

P.S. I'm only 16! Unless Madelaine and Jimmy are going to have their 18th birthdays this year, that makes me younger than both of them! However, I don't know everything. I thought Jimmy was a sensible adult up until I saw his post, so I'm surprised!

Hello! Sweet sixteen, you have reminded me of when I was 16, sixty five years ago. I was a fire service messenger, and my job was to carry messages between fire stations if the telephone system was destroyed. One night Keston Woods near Bromley was on fire due to a Doodle bug (flying bomb). when we had put the fires out, it was so pitch dark, we couldn't all find our way of the wood. I got out by creeping along a hose pipe, and only three of us got back to the Station. the rest had to wait for daybreak to find their way out. So thank you Hannah for jogging my memory of one of the building blocks of my past.
George

[George Jenkins]

Hello George and welcome, you can now play on-line dominoes with Howard Somerset

I am quite old too, in fact my father was in the RAF when Pontius was a pilot.........

Thank you Chris. Reading your message, and I can't stop laughing. If I pop off tonight they will wonder what I am smiling about.
George

George, don't laugh at my jokes - it only encourages me!

Don't pop off tonight either as it will make you the eligible for the 'member for the shortest time' award.



But if you do, could you seek out my Mum and ask her what she did with my premium bonds cos I never did find them. Thanks.

Chris! If we find your Premium bonds, me and your mum are going to cash them. we will be sending you a Post card from Hawaii, with the message, wish you were here.

[George Jenkins]

Hello! I'm 32, and by the time I'm your age, I'll know everything that's worth knowing

Ian, By the time you are my age, you will have forgotten everything that you thought you knew.
I speak from experience.
George Jenkins

[George Jenkins]

Welcome! I'm 17 and know everything. Don't worry, those educated people aren't too bad.

Jimmy, thank you for those kind words and I'm glad that you know everything, just like me.
George.

[George Jenkins]

Welcome George. It's about time we had someone else mature on here, and take no notice of those whipper-snappers. Does this mean you are not the oldest now Howard?

Thank you Heather, and I am sure that those whipper-snappers will show the respect that we deserve, when we demonstrate our superior knowledge of all things.
George.

[Hannah O]

No problem, George It sounds dangerous though- not only almost getting stuck in a wood for the night, but putting out fires! I think that you were a much braver 16 year old than I am! Did the Doodle bugs keep bothering you then, or was it the only one that fell near you?

[George Jenkins]

No problem, George It sounds dangerous though- not only almost getting stuck in a wood for the night, but putting out fires! I think that you were a much braver 16 year old than I am! Did the Doodle bugs keep bothering you then, or was it the only one that fell near you?

Hello Hannah! No! Doodle Bugs did't bother me. In fact, most children of my age found it exciting. I saw my first one when I was cycling to work one morning. it passed just overhead with flames shooting out from the back. I cheered because I thought that it was a German Plane being shot down. Then they started coming over, one after the other. They had a distinctive sound like a motor cycle engine, and when the engine cut out we knew that the bomb was about to dive to Earth. The nearest one to me blew up near enough for me to feel the blast. I watched it coming and suddenly the engine cut out. It was very eerie. One second the sky was filled with sound, and then sudden silence, and then it dived. I ran to where it had blown up, and the lasting impression that I still remember is the smell of plaster, rubble, bandages and blood. I know that it sounds gruesome, but that was life as it was, and to us perfectly normal. This was going on all the time, and I have seen the figure of 60,000people killed by air raids, Doodle Bugs and Rockets. My Grandfather was one of those killed by a Doodle Bug. the Rockets were the worst because we could not see or hear them coming. we would hear a tremendous explosion, then a noise like a continuous roll of thunder, which I think was caused by the Rocket breaking the sound barrier. I think that I had better stop now, because I am likely to ramble on for ever. you know what old people are like,; always on about the "good old days".
George.

[Gavin Chipper]

Hello! I'm 32, and by the time I'm your age, I'll know everything that's worth knowing

That's good. Someone older than me.

[Hannah O]

I'm sorry to hear about the pain caused by the Rockets and Doodle Bugs But there's nothing wrong with telling us children about the good old days- they must be called that for a reason! There's nothing as good as learning about what happened back then from real life tales! Also, I must confess me and my school friends do occasionally talk about the "good old days" too, even if it was only a year ago! I think we're possibly being a bit cheeky, considering our "good old days" are probably nowhere near as wonderful as yours!

[Clare Sudbery]

Hello George!

I'm pretty new too, and I daresay those young 'uns will think I'm old at 39, but I don't (and I'm guesing you won't either). Anyway you're pretty young yourself compared to my grandparents, still going strong at 94 and 98, and lost their first married home to a direct hit by a doodlebug.

[George Jenkins]

I'm sorry to hear about the pain caused by the Rockets and Doodle Bugs But there's nothing wrong with telling us children about the good old days- they must be called that for a reason! There's nothing as good as learning about what happened back then from real life tales! Also, I must confess me and my school friends do occasionally talk about the "good old days" too, even if it was only a year ago! I think we're possibly being a bit cheeky, considering our "good old days" are probably nowhere near as wonderful as yours!

Hannah, I'm pleased to read that I haven't bored you with my story about the war, I must tell you that it all seemed perfectly normal to us young boys at the time. We were at war and people got killed,full stop. in 1940, we would go to school, and a boy wouldn't turn up. then we would be told that he was dead with rest of his family. I still remember one boy in my class called Bone. the only reason that I remember him was that he was learning play the violin. He was killed with his family. When the bombers were coming over in the day-time I would stand in our garden and watch them. they looked like a swarm of black crosses with anti-aircraft shells bursting among them. I saw one go down burning and trailing brown smoke. then, because there were so many bombers shot down, the Germans switched to night bombing. we had to sleep in the air-raid shelter in the garden. I was the eldest of eight children, and with our mother we slept on two tiers of bunks in a space of 8ftx6ft, and we always had six inches of water on the floor.
The nearest that I got to death was through my own stupidity. As usual, I was standing in the garden watching the fireworks. the A.A. guns were crashing, clusters of rockets were screeching as they rose, and glowing red, the distinctive throbbing drone of the Dornier bombers, and the whistling of the rain of schrapnel from the A.A. shells raining down. Suddenly, there was a screeching noise right close to my face and a blast of hot air.Also a tremendous crash right beside my left foot. I confess Hannah, that I shot down the shelter pretty quick. in the morning I found that the concrete path had been smashed right beside where I had been standing. I found the piece of schrapnel that caused it, it was a section of rocket tubing, all split open. I never stood out in the open again. Another thing that was normal, was when me and my friends were back at school, early evening, to play table tennis etc. we'd walk home in the dark and there was usually a raid on. The guns are still crashing, the bomber is throbbing, the schrapnel is still raining down, and we could see the A.A. shells bursting in the sky like tiny winks of light. and we walk home as if everthing was normal. what I am saying is, that life went on. George.

[Clare Sudbery]

Wow George, this is fascinating stuff.

[Ian Volante]

I'm sorry to hear about the pain caused by the Rockets and Doodle Bugs But there's nothing wrong with telling us children about the good old days- they must be called that for a reason! There's nothing as good as learning about what happened back then from real life tales! Also, I must confess me and my school friends do occasionally talk about the "good old days" too, even if it was only a year ago! I think we're possibly being a bit cheeky, considering our "good old days" are probably nowhere near as wonderful as yours!

Hannah, I'm pleased to read that I haven't bored you with my story about the war, I must tell you that it all seemed perfectly normal to us young boys at the time. We were at war and people got killed,full stop. in 1940, we would go to school, and a boy wouldn't turn up. then we would be told that he was dead with rest of his family. I still remember one boy in my class called Bone. the only reason that I remember him was that he was learning play the violin. He was killed with his family. When the bombers were coming over in the day-time I would stand in our garden and watch them. they looked like a swarm of black crosses with anti-aircraft shells bursting among them. I saw one go down burning and trailing brown smoke. then, because there were so many bombers shot down, the Germans switched to night bombing. we had to sleep in the air-raid shelter in the garden. I was the eldest of eight children, and with our mother we slept on two tiers of bunks in a space of 8ftx6ft, and we always had six inches of water on the floor.
The nearest that I got to death was through my own stupidity. As usual, I was standing in the garden watching the fireworks. the A.A. guns were crashing, clusters of rockets were screeching as they rose, and glowing red, the distinctive throbbing drone of the Dornier bombers, and the whistling of the rain of schrapnel from the A.A. shells raining down. Suddenly, there was a screeching noise right close to my face and a blast of hot air.Also a tremendous crash right beside my left foot. I confess Hannah, that I shot down the shelter pretty quick. in the morning I found that the concrete path had been smashed right beside where I had been standing. I found the piece of schrapnel that caused it, it was a section of rocket tubing, all split open. I never stood out in the open again. Another thing that was normal, was when me and my friends were back at school, early evening, to play table tennis etc. we'd walk home in the dark and there was usually a raid on. The guns are still crashing, the bomber is throbbing, the schrapnel is still raining down, and we could see the A.A. shells bursting in the sky like tiny winks of light. and we walk home as if everthing was normal. what I am saying is, that life went on. George.

Interesting stuff indeed. I've never thought to ask my grandad (who's just a bit older than you) about what it was like when he was a bit younger. He's told a few stories about when he was in the Royal Signals towards the end of the war, but he must have seen some bombing in Leeds a few years earlier.

[Hannah O]

It really is fascinating! It's tough to imagine living in the middle of the war, but it's even more difficult to imagine it seeming normal! I think I'm spoilt, living comfortably with no real problems. The most I complain about is getting up early or not getting enough sleep! It really pales in comparison to your war stories. Hearing about the close encounter with the shrapnel sent shivers up my spine too- luckily there was no harm done! Did everything seem like normal because the bombing raids happened so often? Also, did life go on as usual due to the British stiff upper lip? I think that some of us need to remember it nowadays! I hope you don't get tired of telling us all these stories, but it's so interesting to read that I can't help but want to know more.

[Martin Gardner]

It really is fascinating! It's tough to imagine living in the middle of the war, but it's even more difficult to imagine it seeming normal! I think I'm spoilt, living comfortably with no real problems. The most I complain about is getting up early or not getting enough sleep! It really pales in comparison to your war stories. Hearing about the close encounter with the shrapnel sent shivers up my spine too- luckily there was no harm done! Did everything seem like normal because the bombing raids happened so often? Also, did life go on as usual due to the British stiff upper lip? I think that some of us need to remember it nowadays! I hope you don't get tired of telling us all these stories, but it's so interesting to read that I can't help but want to know more.

I know someone who's French and was born in 1921, so he actually lived in France when it was occupied by the Germans, which is a whole new perspective. But his wife and his daughter hate when he talks about it, which is a shame for me.

[George Jenkins]

It really is fascinating! It's tough to imagine living in the middle of the war, but it's even more difficult to imagine it seeming normal! I think I'm spoilt, living comfortably with no real problems. The most I complain about is getting up early or not getting enough sleep! It really pales in comparison to your war stories. Hearing about the close encounter with the shrapnel sent shivers up my spine too- luckily there was no harm done! Did everything seem like normal because the bombing raids happened so often? Also, did life go on as usual due to the British stiff upper lip? I think that some of us need to remember it nowadays! I hope you don't get tired of telling us all these stories, but it's so interesting to read that I can't help but want to know more.

Hannah, I would never tire of telling my stories, and what I write is the absolute truth. As an amateur Artist I am able to absorb impressions and atmosphere in situations. I can still hear the uneven throb of a Dornier bomber's engines. I can still see the squadrons of bombers looking like black crosses approaching. I can still see the glow in the sky as the East end of London, and the area around St Paul's Cathedral burned. I remember Mrs Major whom lived opposite us crying on her doorstep. She's crying "I've lost my Georgie". Georgie was her only son and he was in the R.A.F., a Navigator in a bomber. She's got a telegram in her hand informing her that her son is dead. But he was only one of thousands, and providing that your immediate family is not involved, the mind gets immune to all the killing. When the R.A.F. started mass bombing of Germany, we would listen to the announcer saying; "Tonight, the R.A.F mounted a thousand bomber raid on Hamburg. 45 of our aircraft have not returned". What that means is that an average of 250 R.A.F. men are either dead, injured or taken prisoner, and that happened every night for a couple of years. Incidentally, that raid on Hamburg almost burned it to the ground, because it was mainly medieval houses built with timber. it was the first fire storm, and people were jumping into the canals to escape the flames. that proved to be a bad move, because we were using Phosphorus, which burned on the surface of water. they could either go under and drown, or stay on the surface and burn. when the fires subsided, there were so many dead, they couldn't be buried. they were neatly piled up in streets in their hundreds, and burnt. Hannah, I don't know how to portray this history any differently, because this happens in real wars. It is not like Hollywood's version of war, where nobody bleeds. Another disaster happened here in london during a bombing raid. The sirens sounded, and the people started going down the Underground railway steps. Imagine the steps packed with people. the theory is, that somebody tripped, and then the bombs started falling. the people up the top started pushing, and the people at the bottom were tripping and falling. I forget the number of dead people that had to be untangled later. I think it was more than 200. It was the same when a V2 Rocket fell on Woolworths at New Cross, I don't know how many were killed but I can imagine what it was like. So! Hannah, how can I relate History in any other way but to tell it how it was. As to your reference to a stiff upper lip. All I can say is that we knew that nothing will happen to us, it will always happen to the other fella, so I personally was never frightened. One night, our uncle Bill was with us in the shelter, and we could hear the bombs whistling down. As the whistles got nearer, Uncle Bill suddenly grabbed a pillow, buried his head under it, curled himself up on the bed, and started crying. Us kids stared at him in amazement. He was supposed to be looking after us, but he was terrified. As to you question of "did life go on as usual? Yes it did. Bomb craters were filled in, Railway lines were repaired, People went to work. entertainers, comics and singers gave concerts in the canteens of the factories, and I can remember a lot of laughter. I will write one more episode about a land mine which blew up near our house, and it's effect on the area. George.

[Chris Corby]

George mate, you should be a Dictionary Corner guest

[George Jenkins]

George mate, you should be a Dictionary Corner guest

Chris, Being a grumpy, knowall, self-opinionated old Git, (my Nephew's opinion of me) they would never dare to allow me anywhere near the countdown studio.

[Matt Morrison]

George mate, you should be a Dictionary Corner guest

Chris, Being a grumpy, knowall, self-opinionated old Git, (my Nephew's opinion of me) they would never dare to allow me anywhere near the countdown studio.

I honestly thought that sentence was about to finish "...so yes, I'd be a perfect candidate"

[George Jenkins]

I'm sorry to hear about the pain caused by the Rockets and Doodle Bugs But there's nothing wrong with telling us children about the good old days- they must be called that for a reason! There's nothing as good as learning about what happened back then from real life tales! Also, I must confess me and my school friends do occasionally talk about the "good old days" too, even if it was only a year ago! I think we're possibly being a bit cheeky, considering our "good old days" are probably nowhere near as wonderful as yours!

Hannah, I'm pleased to read that I haven't bored you with my story about the war, I must tell you that it all seemed perfectly normal to us young boys at the time. We were at war and people got killed,full stop. in 1940, we would go to school, and a boy wouldn't turn up. then we would be told that he was dead with rest of his family. I still remember one boy in my class called Bone. the only reason that I remember him was that he was learning play the violin. He was killed with his family. When the bombers were coming over in the day-time I would stand in our garden and watch them. they looked like a swarm of black crosses with anti-aircraft shells bursting among them. I saw one go down burning and trailing brown smoke. then, because there were so many bombers shot down, the Germans switched to night bombing. we had to sleep in the air-raid shelter in the garden. I was the eldest of eight children, and with our mother we slept on two tiers of bunks in a space of 8ftx6ft, and we always had six inches of water on the floor.
The nearest that I got to death was through my own stupidity. As usual, I was standing in the garden watching the fireworks. the A.A. guns were crashing, clusters of rockets were screeching as they rose, and glowing red, the distinctive throbbing drone of the Dornier bombers, and the whistling of the rain of schrapnel from the A.A. shells raining down. Suddenly, there was a screeching noise right close to my face and a blast of hot air.Also a tremendous crash right beside my left foot. I confess Hannah, that I shot down the shelter pretty quick. in the morning I found that the concrete path had been smashed right beside where I had been standing. I found the piece of schrapnel that caused it, it was a section of rocket tubing, all split open. I never stood out in the open again. Another thing that was normal, was when me and my friends were back at school, early evening, to play table tennis etc. we'd walk home in the dark and there was usually a raid on. The guns are still crashing, the bomber is throbbing, the schrapnel is still raining down, and we could see the A.A. shells bursting in the sky like tiny winks of light. and we walk home as if everthing was normal. what I am saying is, that life went on. George.

Interesting stuff indeed. I've never thought to ask my grandad (who's just a bit older than you) about what it was like when he was a bit younger. He's told a few stories about when he was in the Royal Signals towards the end of the war, but he must have seen some bombing in Leeds a few years earlier.

Ian, It's the same with most young people including my own family. I can understand that attitude, because they have the present and future to worry about, and only a young person with a keen interest in history would be interested in hearing our stories. I have only a long past and a lot of memories, and I am very careful not to bore young, unwilling ears with my past, unless asked for.

[George Jenkins]

George mate, you should be a Dictionary Corner guest

Chris, Being a grumpy, knowall, self-opinionated old Git, (my Nephew's opinion of me) they would never dare to allow me anywhere near the countdown studio.

I honestly thought that sentence was about to finish "...so yes, I'd be a perfect candidate"

Chris, damm! Iwish that I had thought of that ending

[Gavin Chipper]

George, brilliant stories (well, tragic stories), but they'd be so much easier to read with paragraphs! Or is it just me? Keep them coming though.

[George Jenkins]

Hello George!

I'm pretty new too, and I daresay those young 'uns will think I'm old at 39, but I don't (and I'm guessing you won't either). Anyway you're pretty young yourself compared to my grandparents, still going strong at 94 and 98, and lost their first married home to a direct hit by a doodlebug.

Hello Clare, no I don't think that you are old and it gave me great pleasure to see your Beautiful smiling face on the margin of these pages. It made a welcome change to the men. (Sorry blokes, but I can't help loving the Gels)
My greatest love of course is my Wife Olive, whom still has beautiful platinum gold hair. Although she lived opposite me, I never spoke to her until I saw her in a dance hall, and she was 16 years old. She was with a friend and they were both smoking. I went up to her and said, "what's a young kid like you doing, smoking a stinking fag?". After I went away, she said to her friend, "who does he think he is?"
She didn't know at the time, but I was the bloke whom she was going to marry. About two years later, going home from the Dance, walking up Elmstead lane, with the clouds scudding across the moon and the wind whistling through the trees, I held her in my arms and said, "Olive, I love you, will you marry me?"
She answered "O.K. if you like".
After 57 years, she still says; "if you like". And also, she'd stopped smoking after I'd told her off and she's been thanking me ever since.
It is marvellous about your Parents Clare, and they sound like me, very old and wrinkled but my brain doesn't know it.

[George Jenkins]

George mate, you should be a Dictionary Corner guest

Chris, Being a grumpy, knowall, self-opinionated old Git, (my Nephew's opinion of me) they would never dare to allow me anywhere near the countdown studio.

I honestly thought that sentence was about to finish "...so yes, I'd be a perfect candidate"

Matt, Sorry, I should have addressed my last message to you, I'm still in the pen and ink stage and a bit confused.

[Clare Sudbery]

My greatest love of course is my Wife Olive, whom still has beautiful platinum gold hair. Although she lived opposite me, I never spoke to her until I saw her in a dance hall, and she was 16 years old.

I've been finding a bit out about former residents of my house recently... in the 40s there was a dancehall opposite our house, and the bandleader lived here. His daughter then went on to run a well-known nightclub in Mcr, playing host to the Beatles, Mud, Rod Stewart, various others.

I love hearing about how life was in different times. I often ask my grandparents about the past, but sadly even that is slipping away from them now.

(ps glad you liked the smiling photo, have got rid of it now though cos it was a bit overpowering)

[Clare Sudbery]

PPS Maybe you should copy these posts somewhere else George: Save them, and keep writing more? It's a great legacy for future generations.

[George Jenkins]

George, brilliant stories (well, tragic stories), but they'd be so much easier to read with paragraphs! Or is it just me? Keep them coming though.

Gavin, It's crertainly not your fault and I'm glad that you brought it to my attention.

I started laying out my stories in paragraphs, but they seemed come out in solid blocks anyway. I didn't bother about paragraphs after that, which a very bad habbit to get into.

From now on, I will mend my ways.

[Hannah O]

You write so vividly, it really shows that you're an artist, and that those memories are important! In Hollywood films, as you said, nobody gets hurt. Either that, or it goes to the opposite extreme, with a film about unfortunate victims of Hitler and his regime. They just don't portray everyday life in the war, so it's even more valuable to hear what you have to say! It was more romantic then too by the sounds of it! I think that teenagers today (apologies for generalising) don't appreciate that Britain wasn't always like it is now, and also don't respect the legacy of the solders that died to protect our freedom, which is why it's so wonderful to hear from you.

[Charlie Reams]

I think that teenagers today (apologies for generalising) don't appreciate that Britain wasn't always like it is now, and also don't respect the legacy of the solders that died to protect our freedom, which is why it's so wonderful to hear from you.

Whereas everyone of age 20 and up does appreciate it?

[Hannah O]

Good point! I'll correct myself: I think that some people today don't appreciate that Britain wasn't always like it is now, and also don't respect the legacy of the soldiers that died to protect our freedom. Thanks, Charlie!

[George Jenkins]

My greatest love of course is my Wife Olive, whom still has beautiful platinum gold hair. Although she lived opposite me, I never spoke to her until I saw her in a dance hall, and she was 16 years old.

I've been finding a bit out about former residents of my house recently... in the 40s there was a dancehall opposite our house, and the bandleader lived here. His daughter then went on to run a well-known nightclub in Mcr, playing host to the Beatles, Mud, Rod Stewart, various others.

I love hearing about how life was in different times. I often ask my grandparents about the past, but sadly even that is slipping away from them now.

(ps glad you liked the smiling photo, have got rid of it now though cos it was a bit overpowering)

Clare, your message took me back to my youth again when I started dancing. (and my sisters will tell you that I was a hopeless dancer). I was 21years old and very shy, never even talked to strange girls, let alone take them out. So I thought that the only way to meet them was to learn to dance.
So up to Eltham I went, to the hall situated on the top floor of Burton's, the men's Tailors. I think they were all the same in every town. I paid my 1/6d or as now 7 1/2p. I walked in with a brave look on my face, but inside I was trembling and terrified.

I had to join the beginners class, about six of us, all young men of course, and being instructed by a lady. I remember the mirrored globe rotating on the ceiling reflecting coloured lights circling the hall, Victor Sylvester music and best of all, the lovely sultry smell of the perfume that the girls were wearing. I thought that this is better than going fishing with a lot of old men, which I normally do. So! the whole group of us followed the steps of the instructress. it was; slow, slow, quick-quick, slow. Or, one two three, One two three, One two three, and I can tell you that we felt like a load of Idiots. It's a lot easier now for the lads. They just go up to the girl and say "Gonna dance?", the girl says "O.K.". they walk into the middle of the crowd, and shake their shoulders, lucky sods.

Anyway; that's where I met Olive, my first and only girlfriend, and what a lucky choice it was.

[Lesley Jeavons]

Hello George, I haven't welcomed you yet, but I've so enjoyed (odd word re the subject matter, but you know what I mean) reading your posts, and your conversations with Hannah, who I haven't said hello to either yet.

Welcome to you both - I love how whatever age we can all be interested and learn from what someone else has to say.

[George Jenkins]

Hello George, I haven't welcomed you yet, but I've so enjoyed (odd word re the subject matter, but you know what I mean) reading your posts, and your conversations with Hannah, who I haven't said hello to either yet.

Welcome to you both - I love how whatever age we can all be interested and learn from what someone else has to say.

Hello Lesley, I must say that I am pleasantly surprised at the interest that my stories have received. I didn't mean to harangue the patiently weary readers on this channel with my experiences. It was Hannah's fault when she informed us that she was 16 years old, and I immediately transported myself back to 1944 when I was 16. It wasn't an 81 year old relating this story. It was a 16 year old with black hair with half inch deep waves, and I could see myself standing in our garden looking up at the bombers. So! Lesley, Hannah has a lot to answer for.

Anyway, thank you for your kind words and interest.
George