HILDA SMITH

My family and I came to live in Long Riston in 1936 when my father took over Coopers Farm in Main Street. By the outbreak of War in 1939 my father had built up a milk round in Hull but due to petrol rationing had to make several changes and develop rounds nearer in Marton, Ellerby and Ganstead. I had to work on the farm of course and help deliver the milk, initially from milk churns doling out to the customer in cans. Later we changed to milk bottles which made the work harder that is, milking the cows, bottling and delivering, then having to come home and wash the returned empties. We had two POWs from the Camp at Arnold working on the farm. One of them, a German, had a small farm in Germany and was a great asset to us. We did well for food, there was always plenty of milk and butter and with a pig to slaughter now and then, pork, hams and lard for baking.

For entertainment we would go dancing at the old Skirlaugh Village Hall where a supper dance was 2/6d (about 12p) and a really good do with trifles, ham rolls etc. For the cinema we had to go to Hull on the bus which was 1/6 (about 7p) By this time Hull had been bombed and there was much damage. Regular Whist Drives were held in the Long Riston Village Hall.

My husband-to-be was in the RAF and was stationed in Skegness and when he applied for leave to get married it was, for some reason, turned down. His Sergeant, however, told him to get his fiancee to write him a letter saying that, if he didn't get home for a wedding, she would turn him down. I wrote the letter as suggested and the RAF granted the leave immediately!

In the spring of 1943 I married my husband Tom in St. Margaret's. The Vicar of Rise officiated and there were about a hundred at the reception afterwards in the Village Hall, followed by a dance. I had a real wedding cake with fruit given by different aunties. Mrs Bloom made my bridal gown and the veil was borrowed from a friend.

Shortly after our wedding, Tom was posted to Wembley and soon I made my first train journey to London. On one occasion when Tom was returning from leave, the train he was on was bombed at Potters Bar and when they were told to leave the train, found the engine had been hit and was lying on its side having collided with another train.

After that, Tom was posted to several other stations but I stayed on the farm until the end of the War.