YP Letters: Thankful to have been member of Churchill's lost bulldog breed

Does Britain need to evoke Churchill's bulldog spirit?

IN May 1940, I was age 11 and Winston Churchill was Prime Minister. An incendiary bomb fell on our roof and was swiftly dealt with by an ARP Warden.

Next day my parents fled to Southport with me. I enjoyed our new home in one room in a boarding house near the sea with no school for a year, and mum flourished with no house to dust.

On December 22 that year, there was a frightening noise and hammering on the door, which when opened revealed an ARP Warden ordering “Leave everything – follow me”.

Dutifully we hurried out and saw a ghostly white outline of a parachute, with a landmine dangling, caught in a tree. We were bussed to a school hall and given tea with bread and margarine, and a chair for the night. Fun for me, children to play with.

Next day we were taken to a posh hotel on Lord Street for a wonderful Christmas dinner with presents, Santa, and crackers.

A leaflet from that time, sent to every household, was issued by the Ministry of Information and the War Office. “Beating the Invader”, signed by Winnie himself, explained how to proceed, should enemy troops land on these Islands, by means of 14 questions and answers. The message was similar to Nelson’s “England Expects”, telling us to “Stand Firm and Carry On”.

I fear that there is now no statesperson of this calibre, and even if there were it is unlikely that everyone would obey orders. Duty is a word seldom heard nowadays. We hear much of “human rights” but never “human wrongs”.

We live in the “me” generation. I am proud and thankful to have belonged to the bulldog generation, but those days are sadly over.

From: Tim Mickleburgh, Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby.

THOSE responsible for austerity seem to forget the basic logic that if people get wage increases less than the inflation rate, they will be worse off in real terms. As a result they will have less to spend on goods and services, which will harm the economy.

But, of course, MPs had an inflation-busting rise in their income, didn’t they?

From: Howard Rainbow, Stanley, Wakefield.

MAY I congratulate Tim Hunter on his excellent letter (The Yorkshire Post, July 6). If only more people thought like this instead of what’s in it for me! I hope he has sent a copy to Comrade Corbyn.