Read Online Under the Apple Tree by Lilian Harry - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lilian Harry
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this
morning.’ Polly beamed at her niece. ‘I’ve got to come out
to Southsea tomorrow to sign on. I’ll come with you on the
bus, first thing.’
A huge smile broke out over Judy’s face. ‘That’s
smashing! We need lots and lots of volunteers, and it’s going
to be really interesting work, Poll - you’ve no idea all the jobs they do. It’s not just serving out tea and sorting old
clothes. Though those things do have to be done as well, of
course,’ she added fairly.
‘Well, I don’t care what I do so long as it’s helping the
war effort,’ Polly declared. ‘I’ve been thinking ever since I
let Sylvie go out to the country that I ought to be doing
something, but what with having a job and not being able to
go in the Services, I didn’t really know what to do. But this
will suit me - I can put in all the hours I want to and still do a bit of hairdressing as well. I went round to Mrs Mason’s
this morning to make sure it was all right with her if I just
did part-time. We decided afternoons would be best; seems
to me it’s mornings that volunteers’ll be needed most, when
there’s been a raid overnight.’
‘They’ll be needed morning, noon and night,’ Judy said.
‘But whenever you work, you’ll be welcome, Polly. You’re
just the sort they need. I’m really pleased.’
‘And I’ll still be giving a hand where I can,’ Alice chimed
in. ‘I’m going to go round the Centre regular. Annie
Chapman works there - you know, Jess Budd’s sister from
over the end of March Street, it was her Olive that was with
Kathy Simmons — and she says I’ll be welcome any time.
There’s always something to do there. And Peggy Shaw,
from down the street, she works in the First-Aid Post and
her Gladys drives an ambulance, so we’ll all be doing our bit
round this way. Well, most of us,’ she added as an
afterthought. ‘I don’t suppose that Ethel Glaister will lift a
finger to help - wouldn’t want to chip her nail varnish - and
Nancy Baxter has her own ways of helping, as we all know.’
‘Mum!’ Cissie protested, amidst laughter from the others.
She got up from her chair and bent to lift the lid from the
saucepan simmering on the fire. ‘I reckon this stew’s just
about ready now. There’s only enough meat in it to cover a
half-starved mouse, but plenty of veg, so let’s get round the
table and tuck in.’ She brought the pan to the table and
began to spoon stew into the bowls. ‘And just in case you think I’m not pulling my weight, I’m going to be doing
needlework for the Marine barracks, helping make uniforms,
and Dick’s going to be making rag rugs for people
who are being rehoused and got no furniture.’
‘That’s right,’ Dick said, drawing up a chair. ‘It’ll be a
hive of industry round here. She’ll have me knitting next.’
‘Well, that wouldn’t be anything to be ashamed of,’ his
mother-in-law told him. ‘Plenty of sailors used to do
knitting when they were at sea. I don’t know where they’d
have got new socks from otherwise, when they were away
for years at a time.’
They sat round the table, eating their meal. As Cissie had
said, there wasn’t much meat in it but what there was had
given it some flavour, and the vegetables were good.
Afterwards they had boiled rice with golden syrup, and
while they were eating that Cissie put the kettle on the fire
for another cup of tea.
‘Wonderful how you can manage when you’ve got to,’ she
remarked. ‘But I’ll be thankful when we’ve got the gas and
power back on. Have you heard anything about that, Judy?’
‘I know they’re hoping to get the Dockyard generators
linked into the city electricity supply,’ Judy said, gathering
up the dishes. ‘If they can do that, everyone will have some
power in the next day or two. I don’t know about the gas,
though.’ She hesitated. ‘There’s going to be a big funeral on
Friday — some of the people that were
morning.’ Polly beamed at her niece. ‘I’ve got to come out
to Southsea tomorrow to sign on. I’ll come with you on the
bus, first thing.’
A huge smile broke out over Judy’s face. ‘That’s
smashing! We need lots and lots of volunteers, and it’s going
to be really interesting work, Poll - you’ve no idea all the jobs they do. It’s not just serving out tea and sorting old
clothes. Though those things do have to be done as well, of
course,’ she added fairly.
‘Well, I don’t care what I do so long as it’s helping the
war effort,’ Polly declared. ‘I’ve been thinking ever since I
let Sylvie go out to the country that I ought to be doing
something, but what with having a job and not being able to
go in the Services, I didn’t really know what to do. But this
will suit me - I can put in all the hours I want to and still do a bit of hairdressing as well. I went round to Mrs Mason’s
this morning to make sure it was all right with her if I just
did part-time. We decided afternoons would be best; seems
to me it’s mornings that volunteers’ll be needed most, when
there’s been a raid overnight.’
‘They’ll be needed morning, noon and night,’ Judy said.
‘But whenever you work, you’ll be welcome, Polly. You’re
just the sort they need. I’m really pleased.’
‘And I’ll still be giving a hand where I can,’ Alice chimed
in. ‘I’m going to go round the Centre regular. Annie
Chapman works there - you know, Jess Budd’s sister from
over the end of March Street, it was her Olive that was with
Kathy Simmons — and she says I’ll be welcome any time.
There’s always something to do there. And Peggy Shaw,
from down the street, she works in the First-Aid Post and
her Gladys drives an ambulance, so we’ll all be doing our bit
round this way. Well, most of us,’ she added as an
afterthought. ‘I don’t suppose that Ethel Glaister will lift a
finger to help - wouldn’t want to chip her nail varnish - and
Nancy Baxter has her own ways of helping, as we all know.’
‘Mum!’ Cissie protested, amidst laughter from the others.
She got up from her chair and bent to lift the lid from the
saucepan simmering on the fire. ‘I reckon this stew’s just
about ready now. There’s only enough meat in it to cover a
half-starved mouse, but plenty of veg, so let’s get round the
table and tuck in.’ She brought the pan to the table and
began to spoon stew into the bowls. ‘And just in case you think I’m not pulling my weight, I’m going to be doing
needlework for the Marine barracks, helping make uniforms,
and Dick’s going to be making rag rugs for people
who are being rehoused and got no furniture.’
‘That’s right,’ Dick said, drawing up a chair. ‘It’ll be a
hive of industry round here. She’ll have me knitting next.’
‘Well, that wouldn’t be anything to be ashamed of,’ his
mother-in-law told him. ‘Plenty of sailors used to do
knitting when they were at sea. I don’t know where they’d
have got new socks from otherwise, when they were away
for years at a time.’
They sat round the table, eating their meal. As Cissie had
said, there wasn’t much meat in it but what there was had
given it some flavour, and the vegetables were good.
Afterwards they had boiled rice with golden syrup, and
while they were eating that Cissie put the kettle on the fire
for another cup of tea.
‘Wonderful how you can manage when you’ve got to,’ she
remarked. ‘But I’ll be thankful when we’ve got the gas and
power back on. Have you heard anything about that, Judy?’
‘I know they’re hoping to get the Dockyard generators
linked into the city electricity supply,’ Judy said, gathering
up the dishes. ‘If they can do that, everyone will have some
power in the next day or two. I don’t know about the gas,
though.’ She hesitated. ‘There’s going to be a big funeral on
Friday — some of the people that were
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