Nice day out - 1946 style

[johnh]

There were about ten in our gang, aged between ten and fifteen. It was decided that we would have a day out. Sunday was the best day and Formby was selected for the destination. I was ten and my brother eleven and our parents were not keen on us going but finally relented. We packed a rucksack with sandwiches and a bottle of ice cream soda and set off. Bus to Orrell Park station, then the electric train to Formby. A long walk to the pine tree woods and sand dunes. We spent a lot of time in the sand dunes playing army type games, then someone suggested going out to the sea to see if we could catch some crabs. The sea was quite a way out and we walked some three or four hundred yards to get there. It was quite shallow and warm and there was lots to keep us interested. After about half an hour we heard some shouting and we saw two men waving for us to come back. We then saw that we had been cut-off by the tide. We raced to the edge of the water and saw that we were about 20 yards from safety. The older boys told us all to link arms with the youngest in the middle and we set off through the water. The current was very strong and the water was waist deep. I remember trying to get a grip in the sand with my toes but the water just took the sand away. I couldn't swim and was nervous of water and was not happy with the situation. (I even get a cold sweat now when I think about it). Fortunately, we made it to safety and the two men gave us a lecture on the dangers of the tides.

We had to dry our clothes which fortunately didn't take too long as it was a very hot day. We had our sandwiches and pop and then one of the older boys said he knew a spot in the woods where the army trained, so we followed him. It was in a valley about 100 yards long. At one end there were target areas made out of logs and at the other end a sand bank where the soldiers fired from. The lad who took us there instructed us to dig in the sand in the bank. After about ten minutes we had uncovered about eight or ten rounds of live .303 ammunition. (These were used in the rifles of the day and also Bren guns.) The lad told us that he had six rounds hidden at home which he had found on a previous visit. He suggested that we return home and he would get a hacksaw to get all the gunpowder from the rounds and make a bomb. Everyone thought that this was a great idea.

When we got back to Liverpool we congregated at the brick air-raid shelter which was at the junction of Scarisbrick Road and Jerningham Road. The lad went away and came back with a hacksaw, all the .303 rounds, a tobacco tin, a length of tape (the fuse) and some matches. After a while, all the rounds had been cut open and the powder put in the tobacco tin. A hole had been made in the tobacco tin and the tape (fuse) was fed through the hole. The tape was lit and we all ran for our lives. Nothing happened. This was tried several times with no success, then we ran out of matches. The older boys' tipped the powder down the nearest drain and disappointed that we hadn't blown up half the neighbourhood we went home for tea. As we walked in the door Mum said 'did you have a nice day out' we just said 'yes'.

Some years ago when Mum was about eighty five I told her the true story of our 'nice day out' - but she didn't believe me!

Edited January 6, 2014 by johnh