Off we go ...

... gas masks at the ready.

Joshua made his very own gas mask and box.

Evacuee Alex had this to say about her experience:

My favourite part of Stockport Air Raid Shelter was the Sound and Light show. We all walked into a small room and Derek, the man showing us round, closed the door. We stood in the dark waiting for the show to begin. Then searchlights appeared on one of the walls and the noise of planes, bombing and sirens was heard. Spitfires, Hurricanes and German planes whizzed through the big beams of light [searchlights] for seconds before vanishing. Next Chamberlain made his famous speech and his face showed on the wall. After that  there were two ladies gossiping about the Air Raid Shelter and how the government didn’t think they were a good idea because then there would be four thousand people in the same place in case somebody died and the hopes go down. 

Imagine having to sleep down here!

Evacuee Oliver added:

At the air raid shelters our tour guide Derek showed us where the toilets were. There were sinks at one end and toilets at the other. The toilets were linked to a central pipe that ran directly to the main sewers. Cubicles were made by two wooden side panels with hessian draped over the doorway. Instead of a manual flush mechanism there was a tank over the end cubicle. When this tank was full, the toilets would automatically flush. Some naughty boys, just before the tank flushed, would scrunch up a ball of newspaper, set fire to the ball, and put it in the toilet. The ball of newspaper would float down the central pipe making everyone jump!

This is the hospital, just in case you were ill.

Time for a cup of tea. Any sticky buns, or are they rationed, too?

Cheers!

Time for a spot of wartime lunch back at SMH.

Our wonderful kitchen staff made us Spam fritters and bubble and squeak.