Stories
Read stories by our community. Use the verse to share, heal and connect — or add your own voice below.
Submit your OwnJosh
My grandson and I were clearing out the attic, making room for the conversion work that would provide extra space, when we found it, an old photograph of Josh. We were moving old steamer trunks full of newspaper cuttings and photo albums and we happened on one that...
Hop-picking, our summer holidays in 1950
At the age of 5 our mum must have had the worst possible start in life as in WW1 she lost her dad, John Sheldon. He died in Hamburg a POW on the 23rd December 1918. But her misery wasn’t to end there as in WW2 she also lost her husband Edwin Webb, this on the 30th May...
Remembering
The chill wind curled it self lazily around my neck finding its way into my chest. Jack my brothers youngest, held my hand and shivered. A group of men to one side stood motionless heads slightly bowed. They’re getting less now these men from the countless small...
Late result
On 29th December, 1940, the Luftwaffe kindled the Second Great Fire of London. The first sirens sounded at 6.17pm and the last bomber cleared the City at 9.30. For three and a quarter hours incendiary and high explosive poured down onto the square mile that is the...
Remembrance
The towering stone cross atop the war memorial was starkly silhouetted against the pale sky, pointing heavenwards, like a brandished spear stained with the blood of the rising sun. On this cold, bright November morning, nothing stirred except the fallen russet leaves...
The boy at Papelotte
Julien Taine was an unremarkable boy. The only reason he was up and about so early on a Sunday morning was to collect the apples. The June morning was fine and the grass along the side of the lane was drying. Julien sauntered along towards Papelotte Farm, his untidy...
Who was he ?
The story started in The Veterans Club, New Plymouth, New Zealand. Every story has to start somewhere, and this is as good a place as anywhere. My daughter got married ten years ago, and about five years ago, she and her Husband moved to the other side of the world to...
Sister McConochie. Glasgow, December 1959
Sister McConochie sat in the Nurses’ Home office, going over her reports. She had some good girls under her care this year, and one or two not so good. Carol and Diana were the best of the bunch. Being a student nurse could be heavy back breaking work sometimes, and...
Keep it for best
I’ve done it, Ma. There, what d’you think of that?’ Alfie unscrewed his hand. On his palm lay a shiny new shilling. ‘Oh Alfie, you never ’ave,’ Mrs Duggens stopped in the middle of blacking the kitchen range and stared at the coin. ‘Tell me you got it somewhere else,...
National Service Catterick 1956 – Nostalgia
Those after my generation may not apprciate the importance of radio Luxembourg, but back in the50's it was our only source of popular music. It was,as the name suggests, based in Luxembourg and actually had commercial breaks!! This was 10 years before the BBC finally...