catch in her voice. Even Shirley had tears in her eyes. She envied both Irene and Beth their good looks, but they were both doing their best to
show her how to make the most of herself.
‘Come on, Shirley. Time we were going.’
They all enjoyed the day; even Norma unbent enough to accept a glass of sherry and then seemed to be laughing rather loudly.
‘Is your Aunty Norma drunk, d’you reckon?’ Frank asked his new wife.
Irene giggled, a little tipsy herself. ‘I wouldn’t know, though I’ve never seen her laughing like that before. And just look at Mum’s face. It’s bright red. I think
she’s had one too many.’
‘Come on, let’s leave them to it.’ Frank squeezed her hand. ‘Time we were going.’
Frank had splashed out on a couple of nights in a nice hotel in Cleethorpes and he had no intention of wasting a minute of the money it had cost him. It wasn’t far away but distant enough
to make them feel they were really on honeymoon. The couple made their farewells and left in a taxi to the sound of everyone’s good wishes ringing in their ears.
As the vehicle drew away, only Edie said sorrowfully, ‘Another one of my family gone.’
‘Come on, Mam,’ Beth said, linking her arm through Edie’s, ‘don’t get maudlin. They’ll soon be back and living next door. He’s not exactly gone very
far, now has he?’
‘No, but for how long? How long will it be before Frank is called up? And I expect you’ll be the next to be off to London or somewhere to join up.’
Beth did not answer.
Immediately after the wedding, Jessie came round to see both Edie and Lil.
‘Now, you two, you’ll have to do some sort of war work sooner or later, so how about sooner?’
Jessie explained everything that the members of the WVS were likely to be involved in. ‘There are plans for us to run a mobile canteen,’ Jessie told them. ‘The meals are going
to be prepared in Doncaster and brought over here and then we distribute them. And thanks to Harry, I can drive.’
Edie frowned. ‘But who are we taking meals to?’
Jessie ticked them off on her fingers. ‘Gun crews, barrage balloon personnel – anyone stationed in and around the town, really. And then, if we do get bombed – Heaven forbid,
but it’s very likely it’ll happen sooner or later – there’ll be the rescue parties to be fed and watered. And I understand that the Town Hall will be a centre for families
who get bombed out and we’ll be in charge of looking after them.’
Edie said, ‘I have to say, it sounds worthwhile work and the sort of thing we could do. What d’you think, Lil?’
‘I’m doing my bit, Edie,’ Lil protested. ‘I’ve still got my nets to do.’
‘I know, I know, but surely there won’t be so much demand for fishing nets, will there? Archie was saying he expects a lot of the trawlers will be commandeered by the Royal
Navy.’
Lil smiled. ‘Well, I was just coming to tell you summat when Jessie arrived. I saw Mr Blake from Coal Salt yesterday and he said the authorities are looking for folk to make camouflage
nets and they want them just like we make our fishing nets. They’re taking on women to work in the old bus sheds in Cleethorpes, but I’ve got permission to work from home.’
‘Eh, Lil, that’s grand for you, duck. Me an’ Archie have been worried that your work might fall off a bit. I hope they pay you well.’ Then her face fell. ‘So, I
s’pose you won’t have time for voluntary work, then? We’d make such a good team, you an’ me.’
Lil chuckled at the thought of them walking side by side to the centre. They looked a comical pair when they were out together. Edie walked with a straight back and a stately gait, her head held
high and her dark hair dressed in tight waves beneath her felt hat. Lil, whose head only came up to Edie’s shoulder trotted along at the side of her, her short, fair curls blowing in the
wind.
‘Oh, I’ll come along, Edie. It’ll give me a break now
show her how to make the most of herself.
‘Come on, Shirley. Time we were going.’
They all enjoyed the day; even Norma unbent enough to accept a glass of sherry and then seemed to be laughing rather loudly.
‘Is your Aunty Norma drunk, d’you reckon?’ Frank asked his new wife.
Irene giggled, a little tipsy herself. ‘I wouldn’t know, though I’ve never seen her laughing like that before. And just look at Mum’s face. It’s bright red. I think
she’s had one too many.’
‘Come on, let’s leave them to it.’ Frank squeezed her hand. ‘Time we were going.’
Frank had splashed out on a couple of nights in a nice hotel in Cleethorpes and he had no intention of wasting a minute of the money it had cost him. It wasn’t far away but distant enough
to make them feel they were really on honeymoon. The couple made their farewells and left in a taxi to the sound of everyone’s good wishes ringing in their ears.
As the vehicle drew away, only Edie said sorrowfully, ‘Another one of my family gone.’
‘Come on, Mam,’ Beth said, linking her arm through Edie’s, ‘don’t get maudlin. They’ll soon be back and living next door. He’s not exactly gone very
far, now has he?’
‘No, but for how long? How long will it be before Frank is called up? And I expect you’ll be the next to be off to London or somewhere to join up.’
Beth did not answer.
Immediately after the wedding, Jessie came round to see both Edie and Lil.
‘Now, you two, you’ll have to do some sort of war work sooner or later, so how about sooner?’
Jessie explained everything that the members of the WVS were likely to be involved in. ‘There are plans for us to run a mobile canteen,’ Jessie told them. ‘The meals are going
to be prepared in Doncaster and brought over here and then we distribute them. And thanks to Harry, I can drive.’
Edie frowned. ‘But who are we taking meals to?’
Jessie ticked them off on her fingers. ‘Gun crews, barrage balloon personnel – anyone stationed in and around the town, really. And then, if we do get bombed – Heaven forbid,
but it’s very likely it’ll happen sooner or later – there’ll be the rescue parties to be fed and watered. And I understand that the Town Hall will be a centre for families
who get bombed out and we’ll be in charge of looking after them.’
Edie said, ‘I have to say, it sounds worthwhile work and the sort of thing we could do. What d’you think, Lil?’
‘I’m doing my bit, Edie,’ Lil protested. ‘I’ve still got my nets to do.’
‘I know, I know, but surely there won’t be so much demand for fishing nets, will there? Archie was saying he expects a lot of the trawlers will be commandeered by the Royal
Navy.’
Lil smiled. ‘Well, I was just coming to tell you summat when Jessie arrived. I saw Mr Blake from Coal Salt yesterday and he said the authorities are looking for folk to make camouflage
nets and they want them just like we make our fishing nets. They’re taking on women to work in the old bus sheds in Cleethorpes, but I’ve got permission to work from home.’
‘Eh, Lil, that’s grand for you, duck. Me an’ Archie have been worried that your work might fall off a bit. I hope they pay you well.’ Then her face fell. ‘So, I
s’pose you won’t have time for voluntary work, then? We’d make such a good team, you an’ me.’
Lil chuckled at the thought of them walking side by side to the centre. They looked a comical pair when they were out together. Edie walked with a straight back and a stately gait, her head held
high and her dark hair dressed in tight waves beneath her felt hat. Lil, whose head only came up to Edie’s shoulder trotted along at the side of her, her short, fair curls blowing in the
wind.
‘Oh, I’ll come along, Edie. It’ll give me a break now
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