January 5th 1939 -Episode 1
January 5th 1939
In the Portsmouth Evening News this afternoon it stated that The British Consul General in Munich has written to the Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, expressing urgent concerns over the arrest of Jews in Southern and Western Germany, and their subsequent movement to an area called Dachau.
He says:
'Apparently the first day of captivity was one of indescribable horror, since no released prisoner has been willing or able to speak about it. On entering the camp, every prisoner had his head shaved and was given a coarse linen prisoner suit with a Star of David upon it. It seems that no other clothing was provided, even after the onset of extreme winter weather. Underclothing could, however, be bought at the canteen at a price. 200-300 persons were crowded together in huts originally built for 60-80 persons. Some prisoners appear to have slept on bare boards, but most had straw. At first each person only had one thin blanket, but now some have two. The food is of the roughest kind, and Jews receive only half the quantities allowed to Aryan prisoners. Six people eat out of the same dish.'
This geezers a right bleedin nutter, wants to take over the world, my dad says. Them bleeding Crouts have tried this before, he continues. They needs to be watched.
He says that half of Charlotte Street is full of them old beggars that had survived them before. Bastards killed yer Grandad in France. Bleeding nutters.
Mum tells him to calm down, it won't come to war again.
Bleedin well will he says. Already started in Austria aint he?
Mum calmly reminds him that only 40 years ago the British in South Africa herded thousands and thousands of Boers from their homes onto trains and led them away to concentration camps. Dad was always good at digging a hole for himself but mum would always leave him a ladder.
Mum reminds him to stop swearing all the time. I bet Father Biley can hear you through the walls.
Dad doesn't like all the 'bleedin types' that Father Biley lets into his house, 'what with Anna being the age she is and our Edna running errands for him, she's even in the bleedin house sometimes.'
Mum explains to Dad that these men are not evil, just down on their luck and needing a bit of Christian aid .
'And they don't swear like you all the time either.'
Dad doesn't hesitate-
'Well, you should judge a man from what he bleedin has to say, not the bleedin way he says it'
My mum is strong and silent, always busy like dad, but never makes a fuss. I know that a few times mum has provided Father Biley with some food for some unfortunate soul. She never says a word to dad, so when Father Biley shouts across the road 'Ted! you're a man close to God, love to see you in church more often' dad's face is a mixture of annoyance and confusion.
My mums called Alice. 'I'm her bleedin wonderland I am' claims dad.
I have a little sister, Edna , she's 9 and an older sister, Anna who is 21 this year!
Anna works in the Central Library in Commercial Road, doing lots of 'paperwork and filing'.
Anna has the most beautiful handwriting I've ever seen. She used to work in the shop with dad, but a few years ago when I could be trusted to work there, she told dad that she wanted to something less slimy and smelly. Dad was ok about it. He realised that with Anna going to dances, cinemas and theatres that it wasn't advantageous to have a scent of fish when competing for the attention of young men. He was good at understanding things like that but not why a City should have libraries-'those who have enough bleedin time to read a story and stuff aint got enough to keep them busy'.
Anna loves books, and reading she says expands the mind. Mums got some books that Anna has borrowed from the library which, to avoid confrontation, she will read to a background of beery snoring. Anna explained that about three years ago, you could suddenly buy or borrow all these flimsy little paperbacks with penguins on them.
I don't read much, just the paper and the sports, like dad really. I've got a book. One. It was a present from Anna last birthday. Its got a penguin on it and is orange. Its upstairs somewhere in my room.
Anna's got an admirer called Billy Shipp. She gets a lot of attention off young blokes in the library and offices but always tells them 'my heart's in Billy's hands'. He's 20 and has been in the Royal Navy for 2 years. He lives in Nile Street round the corner with his mum and dad. Billy's an only child and Stella and Brian are very proud of their boy. I get on with him really well although I'm 2 years younger, he always treats me like I'm his age. His ships comes back into harbour in a couple of months. Anna's already counting down the days. She's so excited.
We'll go and watch Pompey together at Fratton Park. They're playing in the FACup in a couple of days, its a shame he won't be here. I'll go with Stan and Jack instead. Stan lives down Nile Street a couple of doors down from Billy and Jack lives down Trafalgar Street. They both come off Conway Street, where I live. Our house lies between The Sir Hector, my dad's pub and Conway Street School, where our Edna goes.
My name is Frankie, Frankie Salmon and I intend to be a famous soldier or centre-half for Pompey.
Billy, Stan and Jack all want to be strikers, but I love the centre half-back position. I reckon that's the key position for a team's success. The best attacking player, the best defensive player, the one with the brains-that's the centre half-back. My mates says I'm clueless.
But I'm not.
You should watch Tommy Rowe, born in Poole, 1913, signed for us August '34.
The greatest living centre half-back!
In the Portsmouth Evening News this afternoon it stated that The British Consul General in Munich has written to the Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, expressing urgent concerns over the arrest of Jews in Southern and Western Germany, and their subsequent movement to an area called Dachau.
He says:
'Apparently the first day of captivity was one of indescribable horror, since no released prisoner has been willing or able to speak about it. On entering the camp, every prisoner had his head shaved and was given a coarse linen prisoner suit with a Star of David upon it. It seems that no other clothing was provided, even after the onset of extreme winter weather. Underclothing could, however, be bought at the canteen at a price. 200-300 persons were crowded together in huts originally built for 60-80 persons. Some prisoners appear to have slept on bare boards, but most had straw. At first each person only had one thin blanket, but now some have two. The food is of the roughest kind, and Jews receive only half the quantities allowed to Aryan prisoners. Six people eat out of the same dish.'
This geezers a right bleedin nutter, wants to take over the world, my dad says. Them bleeding Crouts have tried this before, he continues. They needs to be watched.
He says that half of Charlotte Street is full of them old beggars that had survived them before. Bastards killed yer Grandad in France. Bleeding nutters.
Mum tells him to calm down, it won't come to war again.
Bleedin well will he says. Already started in Austria aint he?
Mum calmly reminds him that only 40 years ago the British in South Africa herded thousands and thousands of Boers from their homes onto trains and led them away to concentration camps. Dad was always good at digging a hole for himself but mum would always leave him a ladder.
Mum reminds him to stop swearing all the time. I bet Father Biley can hear you through the walls.
Dad doesn't like all the 'bleedin types' that Father Biley lets into his house, 'what with Anna being the age she is and our Edna running errands for him, she's even in the bleedin house sometimes.'
Mum explains to Dad that these men are not evil, just down on their luck and needing a bit of Christian aid .
'And they don't swear like you all the time either.'
Dad doesn't hesitate-
'Well, you should judge a man from what he bleedin has to say, not the bleedin way he says it'
My mum is strong and silent, always busy like dad, but never makes a fuss. I know that a few times mum has provided Father Biley with some food for some unfortunate soul. She never says a word to dad, so when Father Biley shouts across the road 'Ted! you're a man close to God, love to see you in church more often' dad's face is a mixture of annoyance and confusion.
My mums called Alice. 'I'm her bleedin wonderland I am' claims dad.
I have a little sister, Edna , she's 9 and an older sister, Anna who is 21 this year!
Anna works in the Central Library in Commercial Road, doing lots of 'paperwork and filing'.
Anna has the most beautiful handwriting I've ever seen. She used to work in the shop with dad, but a few years ago when I could be trusted to work there, she told dad that she wanted to something less slimy and smelly. Dad was ok about it. He realised that with Anna going to dances, cinemas and theatres that it wasn't advantageous to have a scent of fish when competing for the attention of young men. He was good at understanding things like that but not why a City should have libraries-'those who have enough bleedin time to read a story and stuff aint got enough to keep them busy'.
Anna loves books, and reading she says expands the mind. Mums got some books that Anna has borrowed from the library which, to avoid confrontation, she will read to a background of beery snoring. Anna explained that about three years ago, you could suddenly buy or borrow all these flimsy little paperbacks with penguins on them.
I don't read much, just the paper and the sports, like dad really. I've got a book. One. It was a present from Anna last birthday. Its got a penguin on it and is orange. Its upstairs somewhere in my room.
Anna's got an admirer called Billy Shipp. She gets a lot of attention off young blokes in the library and offices but always tells them 'my heart's in Billy's hands'. He's 20 and has been in the Royal Navy for 2 years. He lives in Nile Street round the corner with his mum and dad. Billy's an only child and Stella and Brian are very proud of their boy. I get on with him really well although I'm 2 years younger, he always treats me like I'm his age. His ships comes back into harbour in a couple of months. Anna's already counting down the days. She's so excited.
We'll go and watch Pompey together at Fratton Park. They're playing in the FACup in a couple of days, its a shame he won't be here. I'll go with Stan and Jack instead. Stan lives down Nile Street a couple of doors down from Billy and Jack lives down Trafalgar Street. They both come off Conway Street, where I live. Our house lies between The Sir Hector, my dad's pub and Conway Street School, where our Edna goes.
My name is Frankie, Frankie Salmon and I intend to be a famous soldier or centre-half for Pompey.
Billy, Stan and Jack all want to be strikers, but I love the centre half-back position. I reckon that's the key position for a team's success. The best attacking player, the best defensive player, the one with the brains-that's the centre half-back. My mates says I'm clueless.
But I'm not.
You should watch Tommy Rowe, born in Poole, 1913, signed for us August '34.
The greatest living centre half-back!
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