Barbara's Diary
1940
1st June and a nice summer’s day. I went to Roath Park with parents and
watched the dancing on the area below the promenade. Concerts and dancing were held there
and Waldini (Walter Bishop) and his band were there playing sometimes and we enjoyed it.
Waldini was at Stacey Road School at the same time as my father when they were young.
On the 24th June we HAD OUR FIRST AIR RAID! We
went down into the Anderson air raid shelter which was in the middle of our garden. It was
covered with earth and grass and had sandbags around and in front of it. We heard next day
that bombs had been dropped on Newport and that Clevedon had had an Air Raid warning and
they have no shelters. We had air raids on the next two nights as well so no homework from
school. Stayed late in bed on Saturday morning to catch up on the sleep lost.
On the night of 29th June - another raid and we heard that bombs had dropped on the Docks. Jersey had been bombed and had no defences. Put brown paper over the windows to prevent flying glass. We began sleeping downstairs as a precaution as there were raids nearly every night. My grandfather came to visit from Devon and went off to play bowls at Dinas Powis at 81 years!
On the 21st July we had a three hour raid. Mum bought some slacks for me - warmer for going down into the shelter. Ann Thom who worked for Singer sewing machines was staying with us and she was very frightened. She would wake us all up as soon as the siren sounded and come in wearing a cushion fastened on top of her head with a big scarf. She saved up her sweet ration to entice me down into the shelter.
4th Aug there were two raids - the second was the, worst we had had.
2nd September was my 16th birthday. My mother and father and I went out to Llandaff Cathedral. Pictures worth £50,000 taken down for safety and we heard that it would cost £250 to remove the west window to a safer place.
10th October we had the longest raid for ages - it went on until 6 am
and Constellation Street was hit badly. Heard that Auntie’s sister had her house
bombed. More raids but no comment in my diary on them until 1941. I danced to Geraldo and
listened to the Watch Night Service on the radio.
The new year started in a very ordinary fashion with a trip up Albany Road to shop and a visit to the Globe Cinema and a visit from a friend and neighbour who brought us some extra sugar. Wakened at 6.15 am with the warning alert and planes overhead. I got up and laid the fire in the hearth and had a cup of tea and then went back to bed.
It had snowed and I went for a walk in it with two friends. That night there was an awful raid and many incendiaries dropped on Cardiff, many in Albany Road area, Partridge Road, Canton and Grangetown and even in Queen Street. We heard that the raid on Cardiff was said to be- a reprisal for a raid on Breemen.
Our home help’s sister and all her family were killed. Went to see my friend Joyce
and saw their house was quite badly damaged but they were around the corner helping to
salvage the Croft Hotel. Sadly also heard that the Dutt family had all been killed except
those who were not at home..
The next night we slept in chairs by the fire - the 3rd and the 4th were not so bad but
the next night we had no sleep.
Canton High School was gutted.
Raids fewer for a while as ice etc about and life went on a little more normally. 1 -
they had the family from the,Croft Hotel staying . Went to the library with my friend with
them as they had no -where to sleep. We had evacuees sleeping in our Hall. Sunday services
began at 4 so that people could get home before the evening.Air Raid every evening but not
as fierce. Compulsory Fire Watching Bill was passed.
Snow - enjoyed it as no raids for a while.. Went to the Pantomime at the New Theatre on
the 25th January - no raid. My aunt and I walked out to Llandaff to see
the damage done to the Cathedral. I went out fire watching with Dad and fell and sprained
a finger.
25th Feb. Grandad coming to stay but we had a
terrible blitz - incendiaries all over the place - Grandad came up to Cardiff for
something
Our friends from Roath Court Road had what was thought to be a bomb in the road outside
their house and they were eating with us and staying with relatives elsewhere. On my way
to typing school a Policeman would not let me pass that way so I went in the opposite
direction and just as I reached what is now the Summers Funeral Home a bomb exploded and
the debris flew over my head – I was sheltered by the old white wall. It was the bomb
outside our friends’ house and it was actually a land mine and blew half their house
down and their neighbours.
Went to bed early - tired out - Dad had been trying to mend our roof and was feeling
unwell.
2nd March. Volunteer fire fighter were being
asked for by our Church but on the 2nd March there was another heavy raid and our lovely
Church was burnt down. Just a shell left standing. Grandad thinking of going home.
Awful raid on the 4th March so we thought we would walk out into the
country instead of trying to sleep at home. Walked to St. Hilary and a Mr Strong invited
us in and we had cups of tea there and came home after 1 am – marvellously good of
him. When we got home we had invitations from family in Devon