Hitler ruined our football pitch

[johnh]

During the war, we had an Anderson shelter in our back garden. When the air-raids started and at the sound of the sirens, our parents used to wake us up and lead us down to the shelter. After a while, they got fed up with this and we used to go straight to bed in the shelter as raids were almost every night. Once the sirens had sounded, we got to know that there would be no chance of sleeping for a few hours. There was an anti-aircraft battery in Walton Hall Park which used to start firing and was like being in a thunder storm. Then there was the sound of the planes and the bombs. The thing I disliked most was if there had been heavy rain then the shelter flooded to about a foot deep with cold muddy water. When this happened, only the top bunks in the shelter could be used. My dad had some wooden crates which he put in the water as 'stepping stones'. Dad was a fireman during the war and was fighting fires in the town centre and at the docks. Dad was a pianist and had the distinction of playing piano at Lewis's before the war and fighting the fire at Lewis's after it was bombed during the war! After a raid, my job, along with my brother, was to inspect the house for any damage to window's, roof tiles etc.,

One day, after a raid, when we were walking to school, we passed a house that had the front completely missing. Just like a doll's house with the front removed. All the furniture was in place, pictures on the wall etc., but the front of the house had gone. Anyway, about Hitler ruining our football pitch. Walton Hall Park was our 'playground'. It had a number of football pitches and we were always there, kicking a ball about. One day we went and found that there were poles (like telegraph poles) all over the park. They had been put there to prevent gliders landing in the case of a German invasion. A good idea from a military perspective but it didn't half bugger up our football games.

 

 

 

 

 

[Blue 250]

He (Hitler), didn't just ruin your football pitch, we (Everton) won the first division 1938-39 season, the league programe was suspended for the war years.....how many league titles did that rob us of !

 

Germany didn't do us too many favours with their previous attempt at world domination......we won the title in 1914-15 and that was also the end of the league programe for a few years.....once again a great team that could have won a few more titles.

 

Then there was the 5 year ban from Europe for Everton when they had a team to beat anyone........mind you can't blame the Germans for that one

[Louis]

and he bombed Goodison.

 

[Matt]

Great story again John

[Mirallas]

 

But in all seriousness, that is a very interesting story. I always love hearing about that time.

[Ant1979]

Love reading your nostalgic posts John, keep them coming

[Matt]

During the war, we had an Anderson shelter in our back garden. When the air-raids started and at the sound of the sirens, our parents used to wake us up and lead us down to the shelter. After a while, they got fed up with this and we used to go straight to bed in the shelter as raids were almost every night. Once the sirens had sounded, we got to know that there would be no chance of sleeping for a few hours. There was an anti-aircraft battery in Walton Hall Park which used to start firing and was like being in a thunder storm. Then there was the sound of the planes and the bombs. The thing I disliked most was if there had been heavy rain then the shelter flooded to about a foot deep with cold muddy water. When this happened, only the top bunks in the shelter could be used. My dad had some wooden crates which he put in the water as 'stepping stones'. Dad was a fireman during the war and was fighting fires in the town centre and at the docks. Dad was a pianist and had the distinction of playing piano at Lewis's before the war and fighting the fire at Lewis's after it was bombed during the war! After a raid, my job, along with my brother, was to inspect the house for any damage to window's, roof tiles etc.,

One day, after a raid, when we were walking to school, we passed a house that had the front completely missing. Just like a doll's house with the front removed. All the furniture was in place, pictures on the wall etc., but the front of the house had gone. Anyway, about Hitler ruining our football pitch. Walton Hall Park was our 'playground'. It had a number of football pitches and we were always there, kicking a ball about. One day we went and found that there were poles (like telegraph poles) all over the park. They had been put there to prevent gliders landing in the case of a German invasion. A good idea from a military perspective but it didn't half bugger up our football games.

I love the older generation. Nevermind that there were bombs going off all over the place, and you were force from your house - thats an inconvenience - but a foot of muddy water :shaking fist:

 

Goes to show how lucky we are today, but also the contrast in what constitutes an inconvenience; being bombed or not having wifi to check facebook. My generation and younger are spoiled beyond belief and take so much for granted. I guess thats part of the reason I love these stories John, makes me reflect on just how lucky I am and hope I never have to experience the terrible times you have.

[johnh]

Matt, when you're a kid you just accept things as they are. When it all started I was too young to remember what it was like before. The only thing I can remember really missing was bananas. I had a memory that I loved bananas and could actually remember the taste. Didn't have another banana for about 8 years. I remember in secondary school, a lad had a brother who was in the Navy and when his brother came home on leave he brought some bananas. The lad in our class brought a piece of banana, about an inch long, in a piece of greaseproof paper. He was a kind lad and he passed it all round the class for everyone to have a lick, when everyone had had a lick he ate it. The taste of the banana from that lick was exactly how I remembered it. Can't eat a banana now without thinking of that incident! Another lad brought in a dagger with a curved blade that his uncle had brought home from the Middle East. We were in the Science room with big wooden tables and the lad was stabbing the knife into the table top. One of the other lads spread his hand out on the table and kept pulling it away before the knife got down. The inevitable happened and his hand got pinned to the table. All in a days schooling!

[MikeO]

Matt, when you're a kid you just accept things as they are. When it all started I was too young to remember what it was like before. The only thing I can remember really missing was bananas. I had a memory that I loved bananas and could actually remember the taste. Didn't have another banana for about 8 years. I remember in secondary school, a lad had a brother who was in the Navy and when his brother came home on leave he brought some bananas. The lad in our class brought a piece of banana, about an inch long, in a piece of greaseproof paper. He was a kind lad and he passed it all round the class for everyone to have a lick, when everyone had had a lick he ate it. The taste of the banana from that lick was exactly how I remembered it. Can't eat a banana now without thinking of that incident!

 

My mum used to tell us the story about her little brother who was born in the late thirties so had never had a banana in his life, and spent the whole war being told by his big sisters how great they were; when he finally got to taste one he hated it and spat it out .