Stories

It was the closing months of WWII When the baby boom began!

Well it did for my mum Ellen Hopkins.  She was pregnant with me and waiting for a bus with her sister when a bomb fell on Hither Green Cemetery, knocking her to the ground.  Just then a coal cart came by and offered my mum and her sister a lift to Lewisham Hospital  - (just for checks you see)

A message was sent to my father Charles Hopkins “Your wife has been blown up by a Jerry bomb and is in Lewisham Hospital”

Can you imagine what he was thinking !!!!

Early years where hard for mum and dad after the war, like a lot of folk, rationing and the like put a lot of stress into a family. However we did get to go to the seaside on several occasions, first to Ramsgate where several families shared a house,(my mum was the youngest of six sisters all with families) and to Aunt Nellie’s Houseboat, moored on the north shore of hayling island I think I was about three years old and my brother David was about twelve. I can still remember the smell of the sea when the tide went out, There where two boats side by side and a fair amount of land to go with them as time and the tides took there toll eventually they both went to the big boat yard in the sky….. The site is now occupied by an estate of bungalow’s !!

My aunt Mary had a large metal box, She always insisted it was grandads army box “he kept it at the foot of his bed with all his kit in it” She said !!

 sadley Auntie passed away in the ninties and the box found it’s way to me I was proud to be the owner of “the war box” It was used in my garage for several years Then I noticed the paint starting to peel off and there was somthing under the paint……… A little help with a scraper  and the words “Railway Press Company” was revealed…….Now I have no idear what this company was or what the box was used for but it was definitly NOT an army issue item !!!!! Any info on the company would be welcome !