Cultureshock

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Video transcript

In Easington Colliery, during the 2nd World War in the evening I would listen with my mam to the news on the wireless. We were listening for Lord Haw Haw. He interrupted the news programmes frequently. He spoke with a nasal accent.

This particular night the newscaster was reporting '2 ounces butter per person for the next week and 4 ounces margarine, 4 ounces meat, 1 pint of milk' and so on and suddenly we heard him with his nasal tones interrupting 'Lord Haw Haw calling, Lord Haw Haw calling. This week the people of Easington will be eating greyhounds not racing them'. My mother, almost hysterical, said in quavering, nervous voice 'He knows where we are! He knows we have a greyhound track here. He knows where the pit is. The German’s sunk the pit shafts and so they know all about us.  Lord Haw Haw knows'. He did this picking out particular names to undermine our morale!  Lord Haw Haw whose name was William Joyce was hanged after the war for being a traitor.

During the war, hanging on the bedroom door mam had a waterproof bag inside which was a tin and in there were valuables. I never did find out what they were but presumed they were insurance policies. The waterproof in case the house was set on fire with an incendiary bomb and the waterproof so that the water used to put out the fire would not damage them.