The war was on when I started school, and if the siren went off to signal an air raid we had to pick up a small mat which was on a hook at the side of our infant school tables and then form a line, and quietly file out to the air raid shelter in the boys playground, where we sat and sang songs like “One man went to Mow”. Serena Hunt b 1939
There was a great big air raid shelter in the boys playground next to the houses, by the school garden, that ran from the toilet block, right the way down to the wall. It was a huge air raid shelter. You used to go to school with your gas mask, and on the edge of your desk there was a little tiny mat hanging there. The siren went, you grabbed your gas mask and mat and marched across to the shelter. Nick Chandler b 1937
Tag Archives: Serena Dias de Deus nee Hunt
Pauline Hatch, Serena Hunt , Shops, High Street 1940s
Minnie Flint’s – I can remember that as a butcher’s shop. It had great big windows and they used to push them up, and there was the meat on a marble slab. Mr Haward’ s fish shop was next door. When I was about three, I used to go across and ask for ‘dish for dabbing’ instead of ‘fish for crabbing’. For years afterwards whenever I went in for fish, he used to say to me, ‘Do you want some dish for dabbing?’
Pauline Harwood nee Hatch 1930
Pinings Corner, High Street
I called Mr. Haward ‘Uncle Len’. One of my cats used to go down the road every day at noon and sit on the wall opposite his shop and Len would give him a piece of fish. Len said he could set his watch on the cat’s arrival. Serena Dias de Deus nee Hunt b 1939
Serena Dias de Deus nee Hunt: characters at church
Miss Scadding played the church organ. She was quite eccentric; had her hair cut like a man, which was not usual in those days, and wore a mortar board. She regaled us with stories about her cats. Her family had a music shop at Totland. I believe her father used to teach organ at Osborne House, maybe to Queen Victoria’s children, I seemed to have heard that at some time.
There were plenty of “characters” who attended the church, such as the Dashwood family from The Mount ; Theresa , Caroline, Cuthbert and Constance.
The Dashwood family had always had their private pew in the church balcony, but the balcony had been put out of bounds because it needed repairs and the roof leaked. However, Theresa took no notice of this and alone took her rightful place on the balcony. If it rained, she just put her umbrella up.
Cuthbert wore plus fours and rode an old fashioned bicycle. To mount it, he used to run along with the bike and suddenly leap onto a sort of pedal at the back and jump into the saddle. We children loved to witness this!
Caroline came to my house one day when I was small and took me to The Mount to look at the wisteria which was growing on a wall and was very beautiful. She brought some freshly cooked asparagus for my cat, which she said cats enjoyed. I could not believe it, but he did.
Constance had rosy cheeks and was very sweet and friendly. Serena Dias de Deus nee Hunt b1939