I remember it well.

[Maywalk]

81 years ago today at 11am in the morning WW2 was declared but my mother was still getting the bits and pieces together ready for the truck to pick us up to go hop-picking the next morning.
Hop-picking for the Londoners was a paid holiday because they were away from the London smog and after a hard days graft they would very often have what is known now as a barbeque with someone on the acccordian and children dancing to the music.
That year though we were told this was not to be because no lights were to be seen anywhere due to any stray jerry planes who got through our so called weak defences to drop a few bombs.
It was the third week in September 1939 when a Jerry plane spotted us in the hop fields and decided to use us as target practice. Luckily for us a Spitfire came to our rescue and to witness the dog fight above us was something that I have never forgotten.
The Jerry was shot down and he got out of the plane and landed with his parachute surrounded by the hop pickers who were ready to clobber him with coshes and Gawd alone knows what else but he was smiling as he unhooked his parachute and although I was only 9 years old I had the feeling he was glad that he was being taken prisoner.
It was also fantastic to see the Spitfire do the Victory Roll.
Many memories that have flooded back today.

[dita]

Did you do the Hop picking in Kent Maisie? Love the story you have written about it. I was born in 1937 so it a little before my time. 81yrs its incredible. ??

[Maywalk]

Yes but only about three times Dita because I was in the so called Sisters-of-Mercy home until I was around 6 and a half.
These cruel so called Sisters-of-Mercy were FAR from being merciful and I still have the scars mentally and physically to show for it.
I never knew my family until I was finally allowed out once a month to get to know them. It was a different world way back then.

Long story that I am sure others are not interested in, but it is all in the book I wrote.