While chatting to my mother-in-law, Betty Ellis, in the spring of 2010, when the whole country had snow, and she said ‘It was snowing when John was born.’
‘Was it? – I never knew that.’ I said, and she told me the story and I asked her to write it down, just as she’d told me, so here, in Betty’s own words, is the story of 80 years ago, in March 1941.
Although they’d called her in unexpectedly, she ended up in Manygates Maternity Hospital longer than she expected.
When I was pregnant with John, I was 19 years old, I didn’t have much knowledge of that side of life.
I went to Manygates . . . but my mother having ill health, could not go with me, so a neighbour went with me. We went on the bus, while I was sitting there all I could think was, when I come home again I shall be a mother. It was the most wonderful and exciting thought.
Anyway, I was there about a week and when the Sister who came round the ward every day came and I heard her say “I think we can send her home, but first we will try castor oil” – and it worked John was born I think round 8 in the evening.
Just after he was born the Air Raid Siren went, I asked where my baby was, they said he had been taken to the shelter, but I said could I go too, but they said no, as I had to stay in bed.
The [bomb] that dropped down Thornes when I was in Manygates Mum told me after, that it lifted her from her chair to the other side of the room.
We had a few bombs drop, one doodlebug dropped in Aunt Annie’s spare bedroom it did a bit of damage but not much, I used to go and clean for her and I didn’t like going in that room after.
Another dropped in Ossett, Mum and I had gone up to see Aunt Sarah Elizabeth and Uncle Wilson, Mum was in the kitchen with Aunt Sarah and I went into the garden with Uncle Wilson, we heard the Plane then we heard the Bomb coming down, I ran into the house, it knocked Uncle Wilson off his feet into the side of his shed, but he wasn’t hurt but we were all shaken up.
It made you realise what People in London and places [were going through] where they were getting that all the time.
Christmas Cake
It’s typical of Betty that when the bombs were dropping around her, she was thinking of other people who were having a harder time.
I think this last little story really sums up Betty’s character as it involves a bit of an adventure, a touch of mischief and, of course, baking.
Betty had met Bill at a birthday party. She’d gone with her friend from work, Kitty Hornby, who was going out with Bill’s elder brother Charlie at the time.
That was the beginning of our lives together. I didn’t see him for a few years when he went overseas, but we wrote each other, we were able to get married while he was still in this country.
I would go and visit him when I got chance which wasn’t very often. It was Christmas and I baked Xmas cake, he was near Sheffield so I went and took a Christmas Loaf, but when I got there it was all railed off, and was getting dark, but there was a soldier going round on guard, so I went and called him over and asked if I could see Bill, so he went to find out, but he said he couldn’t, anyway Bill when he knew I was there he came out although he wasn’t allowed to, so I gave him the Cake through the rails, and I had to leave in case some officer saw us.
It wasn’t very pleasant being alone in the dark and the blackout, in a strange place but I made it home okay.
Betty Ellis, writing in spring, 2010