World War II

[janet]

It's a very interesting read james, have you thought of writing a book about the war years?

[jamesicus]

Mez, Roy & Janet:

Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement.

James

[janet]

Good luck to you james.

[jamesicus]

The face of travel and transportation changed enormously soon after the war started. Petrol was severely rationed and travel by private automobile was almost out of the question except for those who got extra rations due to essential government service. Most privately owned automobiles went up on blocks in storage for the duration. It must be remembered, however, that the vast majority of ordinary people in Great Britain did not own automobiles in 1939.

Most surface travel -- local and long distance -- was now via public buses and the (steam) railways. Although public sector vehicles were provided special petrol allowances, many ingenious alternative fuel devices such as natural gas bladders and methane gas injectors were employed -- I can still visualize the single decker corporation buses surmounted with enormous gas bags. Some people, who could afford it and were lucky enough to find them, equipped their automobiles with similar devices.

The commercial sector was encouraged to use horse drawn vehicles. And now occurred an interesting phenomenon -- whereas there had been a general shift to motor vehicles by tradesmen and deliverymen during the late 1930s, there was now an equally general reversion to horse and cart. Essential home deliveries of milk, fish (no supermarkets in those days -- and no refrigerated storage in the shops) and coal were now all via horse and cart. Nonessential deliveries or services such as rag & bones and furniture purchases were either by horse and cart -- or not at all.

Everyone was urged to conserve fuel -- petrol and coal -- as much as possible. Large signs bearing messages such as Is this journey really necessary? were prominently displayed in Bus Depots and Railway Stations.

In general, the civilian population traveled on foot (we were a lot healthier and slimmer for that) or in public transportation (we were a lot friendlier and nicer to each other for that) throughout the war.

[Sara]

Still finding it interesting, in fact i'm captivated. Brilliant reading.

[ShortStuff]

Jamesicus - also finding this fascinating. How do you remember it all though? Did you keep a diary throughout or is this purely from memory? I don't think many of us will understand completely how dark it would have been throughout the blackouts. Most of us never experience true darkness now. My only experience was when I went on a cave tour & they turned the lights out - very scarey even though you knew they would turn the lights back on. Please keep this thread going.

[jamesicus]

Thank you all for your continuing interest and kind comments.


James

[jamesicus]

I now beg your indulgence, dear readers -- before I embark on my recollections of wartime Blackpool (to be followed by my other "non-local" wartime travel destinations: Manchester, Lytham St. Annes, Sheffield, London/Surrey and Derby) I would like to offer a prewar prelude ..........

I have many wonderful memories of Blackpool -- it holds a special place in my heart as my favorite holiday destination of all (not to mention the Saturday night excursions in the years immediately following the war). That is saying a lot, for I have lived and/or vacationed in some pretty exotic places throughout the years -- choice locations in Hawaii, Japan, Florida, California -- to mention just a few. For me, Blackpool beats them all!

During the Great Depression years of the 1930s just about every Lancashire family that could afford it (not that many had any spare money) went to Blackpool for holiday during wake's week. What great, happy, magical holidays they were -- the best of my life! The travel by those marvelous steam trains to get there was itself memorable -- I can still recall the excitement of seeing the engine approaching the station and the thrill of arriving at Blackpool Central!

Only the rich went on holiday outside of England -- France was the destination of choice for most -- the very rich went to America, Africa, India, the far East, et al.

[jamesicus]

Wartime Blackpool ..........

The last time I was in Blackpool before the war broke out was when my father took me to watch a cricket match -- Australia vs An England XI, on 1 September 1938 -- more about that in a later posting. We went to visit my father's uncle in Weybridge/Kingston-on-Thames (?), Surrey, for our holiday in 1938 (?) -- my first visit to London.

When I next went to Blackpool, in July 1940 with my mother, (my father couldn't go due to his essential war production job and his Home Guard commitments) things had changed dramatically. The Tower lift was closed and the prewar nighttime gaiety was subdued by the blackout (the illuminations were suspended for the duration). Sections of the promenade were roped off by the military so that recruits could be drilled in marching -- you sometimes had to thread your way through formations to get to the sands.

A real shocker for me was no Blackpool rock! -- sugar was heavily rationed in the early years of the war. The colorful shops, stalls, exhibitions, etc., along the front were not as numerous as prewar. Pleasure Beach was only a shadow of its former self at night -- no lights!

However, wartime Blackpool was still a fun place with lots of great entertainment. Big band swing (Joe Loss, Teddy Foster, Ted Heath, et al.) was featured at the Tower Ballroom and Winter Gardens and there were plenty of variety shows -- now usually with patriotic themes, for pride in country was very high at this time.

Unlike the beaches in southern England where there was a great fear of invasion, the Blackpool beach was not guarded with barbed wire as far as I can remember (but I have since read elsewhere that it was).

The biggest wartime excitement I can remember at Blackpool was when American airmen arrived for flight training at a nearby facility in 1943. Things really livened up! Yanks were everywhere, especially at night at the Tower Ballroom and Winter Gardens. It was rumored that Capt. Clark Gable was here for flight training and quartered in a promenade hotel.

I recall a tragedy at Blackpool during the war when a two Briitish aircraft collided in mid-air over Central Blackpool and one crashed through the roof of the Central Railway Station. I believe the pilots were killed. However, I cannot find an official record of this event.

[janet]

I am like you James,Blackpool is the best i never get fed up of going there.

[keith]

May 1952 started 13 weeks driving course at RAF weeton round about 12 of us cadged a lift 3 nights a week down to Blackpool with the civillian driving instructors most were blackpool taxi drivers we would meet up talbot road bus station at midnight and set off back up the garstang road run the first mile walk the second sprint the third like that back to the camp round about 12 milesof course I was fit then and blackpool was worth it and as long as you were back by 8 oclock am nobody bothered

[jamesicus]

As a diversion -- and before I embark on reminiscences of the Battle of Britain and the Air Raid Blitz -- I would like to offer some personal observations relating to wartime cricket and football in Great Britain. But first, a preamble:

I was never very good at either cricket or football, but starting when I was eight years old (1937) I became a great follower and supporter of both as professional sports. I particularly loved Lancashire League Cricket -- the dominating player was the great West Indies all-rounder professional at Nelson, "Leary" Constantine -- and my father started taking me to the Saturday afternoon matches at Burnley Turf Moor and also to some away matches (I kept my own scorebooks). I also followed County Cricket in the Newspapers and soon became an ardent follower of Test Match Cricket.

When the war broke out professional sports soon fragmented -- the old Football league alignment and Cricket league structure were abandoned and replaced by regional leagues in order to conserve fuel and reduce travel.

Football clubs in particular were beneficiaries of unexpected talent -- their teams were often hastily thrown together from available talent -- sometimes team makeup was not known right up to kick-off time. Many of the pre-war professional players were serving in the Armed Forces and were made available to play for teams in the vicinity of their camps. This was a real bonus for fans of some of the smaller pre-war clubs who often got to see International star players in action with both teams. Charity, or War effort, matches were frequently staged between Armed Forces teams made up entirely of star players. The FA Cup competition was suspended for the duration -- the last pre-war winner was Portsmouth (with their new transfer, Stanley Matthews, from Stoke City).

The same situation generally prevailed with Cricket. I got to see some great matches involving International super stars during the war.

[AccyStanFan]

please continue james, great stuff.

[Sparkologist]

Thankyou Jamesicus, for enlightening us about life in pre-war Lancashire and the hardships and life changing events that people had to endure during World War II.
I particularly enjoyed your previous post reminiscing about Lancashire League cricket and also Lancashire County Cricket Club. If you look on Lancashire's official website, http://www.lccc.co.uk/ , there is a full archive section which has details of the games you saw back in 1938. The scorecard for the game at Old Trafford, Lancashire v Australians, can be found at http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Lanc...15/f15940.html, perhaps this will bring more memories back. In this match, a batsman by the name of Eddie Paynter opened the batting for Lancashire. He was born in Oswaldtwistle, played league cricket for Enfield, for Lancashire and also represented England in admirable fashion, most noteably on the winter tour of 1932-1933 to Australia, where he climbed out of his hospital sick bed in Brisbane General Hospital to win the Ashes for England, during the infamous 'Bodyline series'. Eddie Paynter was possibly one of the greatest sportsmen to come from Accrington and its surrounding districts, who went on to represent England in his chosen sport.
Also scorecard of the match that you saw at Stanley Park, Blackpool, of an England XI v Australians can be found at http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Arch...16/f16117.html. I doubt whether the ground or the pavillion at Stanley Park have changed much during the last 66 years.
Please keep posting these memories of Lancashire life, Jamesicus. They are greatly appreciated.

[lettie]

What a fantastic thread, keep up the good work James..