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Albert's
Memorial
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Watch it in
September on ITV1
Written by Thomas Ellice
(A Touch of Frost, Inspector Morse) with Sir
David Jason as co-Executive Producer,
Albert’s Memorial follows the story of three World War
Two veterans, Harry (Sir David Jason) and his friends
Frank (David Warner) and Albert (Michael Jayston).
The story begins as Harry
and Frank prepare to visit Albert at his hospital
bedside amid IV drips, fruit and ‘Get Well Soon’ cards.
He maybe dying, but Albert is still smiling and happy to
see his old comrades whose life-long friendship was
forged in the heat of battle. Albert reflects on his
life as he comes to terms with the fact he hasn’t long
to live.
Albert’s dying wish is to
be buried on the little hill outside Hindenburg in
Germany where he watched the Russians take position in
the closing stages of the Battle for Berlin. Amid the
noise, confusion and chaos this is the last time Albert
felt truly alive.
He and the other British Troops were at the heart of
history and it left an indelible impression on all their
lives. The notion of Harry and Frank taking his body
after his death is a crazy one, but life is short,
friendships are precious and after all the trio have
known each other for more than half a century.
The plot unfolds as Harry
and Frank eventually kidnap Albert’s body from the
hospital mortuary and begin a journey that will change
their lives forever, as they explore dark events, hardly
mentioned since 1945. With Albert’s coffin tied to the
roof rack of Harry’s black cab, they set off on their
adventure to honour their friend’s last wish and create
Albert’s memorial.
The journey will see Frank
and Harry coming to terms with the trauma and emotion of
what happened all those years ago, when as soldiers
fighting for their survival, they joined forces with the
Russians to encircle Berlin. Throughout their voyage of
adventure, each skates on dangerously thin emotional
ice, as the events of 1945 continue to haunt them.
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Judith Hoersh plays Vicky
As little goes according
to plan and hopelessly lost in Calais, they pick up a
German hitchhiker, Vicki (Judith Hoersch), who
intuitively learns of the dark secret which has driven a
wedge through the heart of their friendship.
During the bickering and
reminiscing as they make their way through France and
Belgium before eventually reaching Germany, Harry and
Frank are unappreciative of the influence and
significance of Vicki until it’s too late. On reaching
their destination, they assume she has disappeared and
abandoned them, but it soon dawns on Frank that she has
intervened significantly in their lives.
Sir David Jason
talks about his role as Harry in Albert's Memorial
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Sir David Jason’s unrivalled talent for comedy roles was
indispensable when it came to playing Harry, a man he
describes as “a funny and sometimes tragic old codger.”
“There were times during filming when I’d say to David
Warner, who plays Frank, ‘Look at the pair of us, we’re
like Laurel and Hardy! He was the grisly old git
constantly complaining and winding Harry up and I was
the character absorbing it all, until I’d finally had
enough.
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David Warner plays Frank
“There was a lot of laughter involved, but a lot of
pathos too. At one point, Frank has driven Harry so mad
with his constant goading that they end up in a field,
squaring up to each other trying to land punches. But
the pair of them have got so many health problems and
are so old they can’t even fight. On one level it makes
you laugh, but on another level it’s also very
emotional.”
A good description, perhaps, of the drama in general,
which Sir David hopes will both amuse and move the
audience. “I suppose I’d really describe Albert’s
Memorial as black comedy with very serious undertones.
It’s meant to be amusing because here are two old
codgers stealing a friend’s body because they promised
him on his death bed. Then they cart him off to Germany
on the top of a taxi, bickering and bouncing off each
other all the way.
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“But beneath the laughs there are so many serious
issues. For example, the futility of war, the terrible
things that we do to each other in its name and our
persistence in hating and killing each other in
conflicts even today. Why can’t we just stop it?
“Then, of course, there’s the whole subject of
friendship and how it is that these two old boys, who
drive each other mad, have managed to stay friends for
decades. What binds them to each other and also, of
course, to their dead friend, Albert? What starts as a
bit of a caper, becomes quite an emotional journey as
the story of what happened to the three men during the
war is told through flashbacks. All of them shared a
devastating experience and they’ve lived with the guilt
of it ever since. It’s bound them together but also
really spoilt their lives on many levels.
“Albert’s Memorial is partly about that guilt, but it’s
also about forgiveness and laying the past to rest. For
me it was always going to be a story that was so much
more than just an entertainment.”
Born in 1940, just six months after the declaration of
war and raised in bomb torn London, Sir David admits
that Albert’s Memorial felt, in many ways, like a very
personal project.
“”I suppose that I just grew up knowing, in a very vivid
way, that if it hadn’t been for the men who fought in
World War II we’d all be living in a very different
world now. I feel that we own a debt of gratitude to men
like Harry, Frank and Albert and Albert’s Memorial is a
small way if acknowledging it.
The characters themselves, he says, are fictitious and
the specific story that is told isn’t true, per se. But
what happens in the story is based on some shocking real
events that have stained the pages of history. In the
end, the more grisly, shocking element of the tale is
told through the filter of entertainment.
“What we’ve done is to try to tell the story in a way
that throws some light on some terrible events that have
largely been hushed up in history books. And we haven’t
been coy about the way we’ve done it. But, he says, the
human experience is never just all darkness, there is
always light too and sometimes the funniest moments come
out of the saddest situation. In Albert’s Memorial they
certainly do.”
Along with filming Albert’s Memorial Sir David has made
a documentary about the Battle of Britain, which will be
shown on ITV on the same evening.
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Waterloo
Road
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Starts Wednesday 1st
September,
8.00 - 9.00pm, BBC
ONE
A new head teacher (played by Amanda
Burton) joins Waterloo Road.
Waterloo Road is back, and the arrival of
dynamic new head teacher Karen Fisher, played by Amanda
Burton, heralds a fresh start for the school.
Opinionated and ambitious, Karen is determined to bring
change, making Waterloo Road a safe and vibrant place to
learn. However, Karen's steely exterior masks a deeper
fragility as she and her family wrestle with a recent
tragedy.
Karen's first challenge at the school arrives in the
form of the Kirbys – sixth-former Jonah and 13-year-old
genius Ruth – who have both been home-schooled by their
father, Marcus. Marcus's ex-wife, Hannah, wants her
children to experience mainstream schooling, but he has
little faith in the state education system. While Jonah
relishes the opportunity to make new friends and have
new experiences, high-achiever Ruth feels she's got
little to learn and soon takes matters into her own
hands by running away.
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Marcus Kirby,
is played by
actor,
Wil Johnson
When the school discover Ruth's disappearance, they
alert the police and form a search party. The process
proves particularly hard for Karen, as it is a painful
reminder of her own family situation.
Meanwhile, deputy head Chris Mead finds himself in the
middle of a professional crisis. After meeting a young
woman in a club the previous evening and spending the
night with her, a smitten Chris arrives at school to
discover that not only is she a new sixth-form student,
but she's also Karen's daughter, Jess Fisher. He tries
to draw a line under the incident but Jess has other
ideas about their relationship, leaving Chris no choice
but to resign.
Elsewhere, attractive new Spanish teacher Francesca "Cesca"
Montoya makes an impression on staff and students alike,
and former pupil Janeece returns to the school as the
new secretary – complete with a surprise of her own.
In the playground, Lauren has fallen out with Sambuca,
annoyed that her "best mate" ditched her over the summer
– for a boy.
Karen Fisher is played by Amanda Burton, Jonah by Lucien
Laviscourt, Ruth by Anna Jobarteh, Marcus by Wil
Johnson, Hannah by Kaye Wragg, Chris Mead by William
Ash, Jess Fisher by Linzey Cocker, Cesca Montoya by
Karen David, Janeece by Chelsee Healey, Lauren by Darcy
Isa and Sambuca by Holly Kenny.
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Waterloo Road is simulcast on the BBC HD
channel – the BBC's High Definition channel, available
through Freesat 108, Freeview 50, Sky 143 and Virgin
108.
For more information visit the website at
www.bbc.co.uk/waterlooroad
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Bouquet of Barbed Wire
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Starts
on 6 September, ITV1
A modern reworking of Andrea
Newman’s taboo busting 1970s
psychological drama, Bouquet of
Barbed Wire, begins on ITV in
September.
Trevor Eve (Waking the Dead,
Framed) leads the cast as Peter
Manson. Written by acclaimed
writer Guy Andrews (Lost In
Austen, Prime Suspect), directed
by Ashley Pearce (Class of 74)
produced by Mammoth Screen, and
commissioned by ITV1, the 3 x 60
minute drama was filmed on
location around London.
Trevor Eve stars alongside
Hermione Norris (Spooks,
Kingdom), Imogen Poots (Miss
Austen Regrets, 28 Weeks Later),
Tom Riley (St. Trinians 2, Lost
In Austen) and Jemima Rooper
(Lost In Austen, The Black
Dahlia).
Bouquet of Barbed Wire explores
the consequences of a father’s
obsessive love for his daughter
and how secrets once buried in
the past return to haunt their
lives. Trevor Eve plays Peter
Manson, whose apparently
successful life is turned upside
down when his beloved teenage
daughter Prue reveals she’s
pregnant by her teacher, Gavin
Sorenson. The very heart of the
family is threatened as Peter
has an intuitive sense that
Gavin’s on a personal quest for
revenge.
Central to the drama are the
characters of Peter (Trevor
Eve), his daughter Prue (Imogen
Poots), his wife Cassie
(Hermione Norris) and Gavin (Tom
Riley).
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Tom
Riley as Gavin Sorenson and
Imogen Poots as Prue Sorenson
As the story unfolds, architect
Peter employs twenty-something
Sarah Francis (Jemima Rooper).
Consequently, Peter and Cassie’s
relationship becomes
increasingly distant, as Peter
tries to overcome the aching
fear that he’s lost his
daughter, and embarks on an
affair with Sarah.
With Peter’s marriage at
breaking point, his increased
erratic behaviour and facing
financial ruin, it’s only a
matter of time before the truth
about his past is revealed.
Trevor
Eve plays Peter Manson
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Well known for his role as DS
Peter Boyd in Waking the Dead,
in Bouquet of Barbed Wire Trevor
plays Peter Manson, a man whose
life is turned upside down when
his teenage daughter Prue
reveals she’s pregnant by her
teacher, Gavin Sorenson.
Here he talks about changing
times and the journey his
character goes through as the
world he knows collapses before
him.
“I think some of the public’s
attitudes will have changed
towards the original subject
matter. We’re living in a
strange period of social
history, a much more moral time
now. When I was doing television
drama in the 70’s and 80’s there
was a lot of nudity and sexual
activity on screen and now there
are more people who would prefer
a greater restriction of such
expressions.
“I do think this modern audience
will respond well to our
re-working but I would have
thought after 30 years, people
would have become more liberated
when in certain aspects it’s
gone the other way.
“I play Peter Manson. He adores
his daughter and is completely
enamoured by her as she grows
up. He realises he enjoys her
company more than anyone else’s
and his love turns to an
obsessive love. It’s not a
sexual love. We aren’t talking
about incest here - it’s more
subtle than that.
“Peter’s world is shattered when
he realises his daughter has to
go off to the real world. She
finds a man, becomes pregnant
and suddenly the companion of
his life, the love of his life
has gone. I think it shatters
his world and he realises that
she was the one true joy in his
life and if she’s gone there’s
not a lot left. As a result of
the catalogue of disastrous
events that play out, he starts
this confused and deranged
obsession which eventually
brings about his downfall”
A long-time fan of Andrea
Newman, Trevor also talks about
appearing in some of her other
televised adaptations.
“I find Andrea Newman very
interesting. I suppose she’s one
of the first people to expose
the dark side of people’s
psyches in a pot-boiling genre.
I really like her work and think
Guy Andrews has done a great job
in adapting the book. In fact
this is the third Andrea Newman
I’ve done; I did Sense of Guilt
in 1988, Evil Streak in 1998 and
now A Bouquet of Barbed Wire in
2009. I try to do one every
decade!
“Bouquet of Barbed Wire is about
manipulation. The author of the
original book, Andrea Newman,
writes about people who
manipulate people. Peter’s
daughter, Prue, manipulates him
as much as he manipulates her.
In fact everybody is
manipulating everyone else and
they don’t even know it. Andrea
is clearly using this technique
throughout her drama. She
doesn’t write the characters as
villains. They are people
responsible for what happens to
them as a result of difficult
situations.”
Trevor Eve’s previous credits
include: Waking The Dead,
Possession, Framed Heat of The
Sun, Shoestring.
Hermione Norris plays Cassie
Manson
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Hermione Norris’s career did not
take off as expected when she
first started out. She even
considered dropping her acting
plans to pursue a degree in law,
after being out of work for four
months. However, after gaining
huge success in ITV’s Cold Feet
her career has gone from
strength to strength.
“I play Cassie Manson, Peter’s
wife and Prue’s mother. She’s a
fixer, a controller; she likes
to make everything nice and
presentable, create a lovely
home and she wants to educate
her children well. She’s a
therapist and is trying to help
the community.
"Slowly but surely with the
introduction of Prue’s boyfriend
Gavin, the announcement of
Prue’s pregnancy and the
decision she won’t be going to
college, all of the superficial
shackles of their very
comfortable lifestyle start to
unravel. The relationship she
thought she had with Peter isn’t
all it seems and Prue isn’t the
daughter she thought she was and
I think she finds she isn’t the
woman she thought she was.
“The story follows her on the
journey of all of that; she
doesn’t know any of it from the
get-go and it shows the
unpicking of who she believes
herself to be and who she
believes her family to be. To be
honest it’s an actor’s dream to
act in a drama like this. “
When researching her role in
Bouquet of Barbed Wire Hermione
decided not watch the original,
a decision shared by her
co-stars.
“I deliberately didn’t watch the
original. I always think it’s
best if you’re trying to create
a drama from on the page to
concentrate on what is there in
front of you rather than going
back to the original. I don’t
think it would have served me to
look at a different take on it
really.
Despite the inevitable change in
viewing tastes and the public
generally becoming more
desensitised towards taboo
subjects over time, Hermione
still feels this re-working has
elements that will shock
hardened viewers.
“We’re at the end of 2010 and
the original came out in the
1970s. Television is a
completely different medium now.
In the 1970s it was complete
taboo to see anything like this
on television. Now, however, we
have seen everything on
television. We are used to
seeing nudity, people swearing,
people behaving badly – there
are no surprises. I think it’s a
very intelligently written and
well-observed script. It is
scandalous and disturbing and
that’s how it should be. It’s
not gratuitous, lascivious or
superficial. I think it’s as
disturbing as it’s appropriate
for the relationships involved.
“The way Ashley Piece has
directed this, the writing of
it, and the quality of acting
from the other cast members, is
intelligent, subtle and
believable. I believe it is a
beautiful piece of television.”
Tom Riley
plays Gavin Sorenson
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Aspiring actor Tom Riley plays
the disturbed Gavin Sorenson in
this re-imagining of Bouquet of
Barbed Wire. Gavin’s shocking
introduction to the Manson
family only scratches the
surface of the sinister
intentions he has planned… But,
there is more to Gavin then
meets the eye and a revelation
shows a man with a tortured
past.
Tom explains, “Gavin is one of
those characters who is a gift
to play. However, playing him
could potentially be a trap as
well because, to all intents and
purposes, he can be portrayed
quite easily as the bad guy, the
evil guy, the guy people love to
hate. Nonetheless, there is so
much more to him than being a
moustache twirling villain.
"Hopefully, by the end of the
series the viewers will have a
sense of understanding and
sympathy for him, having seen
the depth to his character and
history as to why he does what
he does, including the path of
revenge he takes against Peter
and the people he hurts and
falls for along the way.
“This drama does differ from the
original; one way specifically
is the time we now live in. The
original came out in the ‘70s
and was shocking because of what
it didn’t show. It was a product
of the time and people remember
it as ‘the incest drama’ but
even though the incest was so
gently implied, at the time it
was such a shock. Now we have to
approach it slightly differently
as people are shocked less
easily. The barrier has been
raised – it’s a different
audience in a different time and
it’s a different way of doing
it. Hopefully the power of the
drama is enough this time
around.”
Tom Riley’s previous credits
include: St Trinian’s 2: The
Legend of Fritton’s Gold, Happy
Ever Afters, Lewis and Agatha
Christie’s Poirot.
Imogen Poots plays Prue Sorenson
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At 21 rising star Imogen Poots
already has a string of high
profile credits to her name. Now
starring as Prue Sorenson in
Bouquet of Barbed Wire, Imogen
is certainly one to watch...
Talking about her character in
the upcoming ITV drama, Imogen
says, “I play Prue Sorenson and
at the beginning she is living
quite an innocent existence,
although there is the presence
of her brooding and
over-protective father, Peter
Manson, in the background. When
she becomes intimately involved
with her school teacher a lot of
things start to fall to pieces
around her.
"It appears as if the flaws of
everyone else transfer to her.
She’s savvy, she’s intelligent
and bold but at the same time
she’s a young girl caught up in
this ridiculously tragic
situation and therefore bound to
be vulnerable at times.
“I think her Mother, Cassie, is
actually pretty amazing in the
way she deals with the
situation, especially the moment
Prue brings Gavin home and
Cassie accepts the fact he’s
older and her teacher. She also
accepts how they met and then
her pregnancy; she takes it in a
very steady way, a very British
way to be precise!
“It’s very difficult to shock an
audience these days; we’ve
become such a liberal society
with art, literature and
sexuality. The chance to play a
part like Prue was very, very
exciting because she’s so
multi-faceted. Her character has
an extra dimension and there’s a
lot going on.
“I’m 21 now but when I left home
I was in a similar situation to
Prue in the sense I was taking
my first steps into the big wide
world out alone. It meant
cutting off some of the family
ties I had in places. For me,
that whole aspect of her
character was so exciting. She’s
not just a school girl who is
ruined or broken; there are a
lot of contributing factors.
She’s making her own decisions
and she’s breaking away from
home and I think that’s always a
very exciting time for anyone.”
Imogen will be starring in the
up-coming BBC film Jane Eyre as
Blanche Ingram. Her previous
credits include: Solitary Man,
Cracks, Me and Orson Welles,
Miss Austen Regrets and 28 Weeks
Late.
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Sixtyplusurfers Interview
and
Competition
Gianluca Paganelli
.jpg)
Gorgeous Italian singer
Gianluca Paganelli is releasing
a sensational new album called Tango in
September. Set to revolutionise
the way we listen to music, his
passionate songs revolve around
the sensual Tango dance
music which was originally born
on the streets of Buenos Aires.
Once you hear his romantic songs
such as Carlos Gardel's Tango
classic 'Por Una Cabeza' and 'No
Other Love'
made famous by Perry Como, your
heart will melt. The album also
includes legendary songs that
experts consider marked the
turning point of the Tango,
'Jalousie' and 'Spanish Eyes'
both made famous by Al Martino,
making this a hot and steamy
album to savour.
To celebrate the launch of
Tango, we're giving away a
selection of Gianluca
Goodies including a Tango CD, DVD and
a signed photograph for five
lucky readers. Read our
exclusive interview then enter our
fabulous competition, and you
could be a lucky winner!
Gianluca spoke to
Sixtyplusurfers
.jpg)
Tell us about your background?
How did your career begin and
how were you discovered?
I’ve always enjoyed singing. When I was little,
I was a boy soprano in the RAI choir on TV.
Then, when a teenager, I was the lead singer in
a pop group. We used to meet every Saturday and
write our own songs. After a few years, the
group went their separate ways and I decided to
study opera to have the voice technique to be
able to sing any type of music. From the first
lesson, I knew that opera was for me. Soon
afterwards, I won a scholarship to study at the
Accademy of Santa Cecilia in Rome.
Can you tell us a bit about your new album
and your music?
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This album
consists of Tango songs. The
idea is to bring to light some
of the forgotten hits of the
past such as No Other Love which
was a No.1 in the 1950s and
Tango delle Rose. It's perfect
for anyone who is interested in
Latin music or enjoys to dance.
How long did it take to make the new album?
How did you choose the songs? And who did you
work with?
The album took about three weeks to make. It was
my manager’s idea to make a Tango album. When he
suggested it, I thought it was fantastic because
it is very close to my heart. I admire the
passion and emotion you find in tango music.
I really enjoyed your video on YouTube for
‘No Other Love’ – how did you make it? And who
are your co-stars?
The video was made in a characteristic theatre
just outside London. It was perfect for the
image we needed for the video. My co-star and
her dance partner are one of the best tango
couples in England. They’ve won many
competitions so I am lucky to have been able to
dance with them!
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You have a wonderful voice. How have you been
trained? And what do you do to look after your
voice?
My main teacher has been my uncle, the
baritone Ludovico Malavasi, who supported me
patiently and lovingly for many years. I will
always be very grateful to him.
I need to train my voice every day: do exercises
and sing through repertoire. I try to stay fit
and, if my voice is feeling tired, I will take a
spoonful of honey.
Who are your main influences in music? And
how is this reflected in your work?
I love the romanticism of Verdi and Puccini.
Their operas are fantastic. Andrew Lloyd Webber
is a great inspiration for me too. Of course,
Stevie wonder and Ray Charles have to be
mentioned as well.
Do you
think people’s musical tastes
have change over the years? And
what do you think people are
looking for when they buy a CD?
People react to music in different ways, some
want to get up and dance, others just want to
listen. Given the current climate, I think
people need a release from everyday life, now
more than ever. They need to dream and I believe
the tango does make you dream, it sets free your
emotions, your spirit.
Will you be performing in any concerts in the
UK this year? And can you give us the
details?
I’m going to be supporting Aled Jones on tour in
November and December. It would be great to see
some of your readers there.
What are your plans for the future?
I have lots of plans, both musical and
otherwise. The music I’m making right now is
crossover which gives allows me to sing both pop
and classical. I’d like to be able to combine
both these elements by performing crossover
songs and also singing opera in the theatre.
When I’m not on stage, I’d like to spread a
message of peace and encourage closeness amongst
different people.
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Do you have a special message for
Sixtyplusurfers readers?
I would like to convey the love and enthusiasm
for life that the tango expresses through its
passion.
Interview by Jenny Itzcovitz,
Sixtyplusurfers
Sixtyplusurfers Competition
Win Tango on CD and DVD, and a
Signed Photograph of Gianluca
We've got five to give
away
Just tell us what is Gianluca's
remedy when his voice gets
tired?
a) Hot chocolate
b)
A glass of Chianti
c)
Throat lozenges
d) A spoonful of honey
To Enter the Competition
For your chance to win these
fabulous goodies from Gianluca
Paganelli, just tell us his
remedy for a tired voice, then
send in your name, address and
telephone number by clicking on
the link below:
sixtyplusurfers@hotmail.co.uk
* This competition is open to
our
UK visitors only
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Words of the Blitz
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Starts Wednesday, 8
September,
10.35 - 11.35, ITV1
In the late Summer of 1940
London came under fire as German bombers brought
death and devastation to the City, night after
night, week after week and month after month.
Many cities were bombed but London suffered the
most. This new documentary, Words of the Blitz,
tells the powerful stories of those affected by
the bombings, in their own words.
A cast of actors including Dominic West, Romola
Garai, Sheila Hancock, Russell Tovey, Alex
Jennings, Joseph Beattie and Steven Berkoff read
the diaries and letters of men and women from
teenagers to fire-fighters, nurses and senior
government officials, offering a rich insight
into how the impact of the Blitz was felt on a
deeply personal level, but also evoking how it
affected all levels of society.
They are joined by readers with a contemporary
connection to the subject including a Bomb
Disposal Officer just back from Afghanistan, and
by Blitz survivors reading their own accounts.
Along with archive footage as well as film of
affected areas of London as they are today,
their personal testimonies combine to create a
compelling, surprising, and often deeply moving
commemoration of the Blitz, brought vividly and
poignantly to life in this powerful documentary.
The Luftwaffe launched the biggest air raid in
history in September as 350 bombers accompanied
by 600 fighters headed towards London.
Russell Tovey reads from the diary of Colin
Perry, an eighteen year old from South London,
who describes the sight of the aircraft heading
for London.
“I set out on my old bike yesterday afternoon
and pedalled through Carshalton, Burgh Heath,
and on to Collie Hill – that great viewpoint
overlooking all Surrey and Sussex to the south
coast. Then pandemonium broke loose right above
me. I jumped off my bike and looked up. It was
the most amazing, impressive, riveting sight.
Directly above me there were literally hundreds
of planes, the sky was full of them. Bombers
hemmed in with fighters like bees around their
queen.”
Romola Garai reads from the diary of Joan
Wyndham who was 18 years old and living in
Chelsea, she describes the bombing on that
night.
“Tonight the Blitz started. We saw four bombs
fall on Kensington High Street…The sky over by
the docks was red, as if it was an enormous
sunset. The bombs are lovely…I think it’s all
thrilling.”
The next morning London woke to the news that
over 400 people had been killed in the bombing.
The following night the bombers returned, and
the next night, and the next. The Blitz had
begun.
Alex Jennings reads from George Orwell’s diary:
“The aeroplanes come back and back, every few
minutes. It is just like an eastern country,
when you keep thinking you have killed the last
mosquito inside your net, and every time, as
soon as you have turned the light out, another
starts droning.”
London had been bombed continuously for 57 days
and nights – when suddenly in November the
bombing stopped. A week passed without a raid
then the Luftwaffe launched their ‘Operation
Moonlight Sonata’ – a massive attack on
Coventry.
Just before Christmas, Manchester was targeted.
Sheila Hancock reads from The Manchester
Guardian:
“Manchester took the full force of Sunday
night’s Nazi attack on the civilians of Britain.
Incendiary bombs were dropped, and the white
light of the flares was overshot with the red
and orange colours of fire. Wave upon wave of
bombers, drawn like iron filings to a magnet,
swept over the burning buildings and dropped
explosives among the men already working to put
out the beacons of ruthless waste.”
While other cities suffered, London escaped big
raids, but this would change on the night of
29th December when the Luftwaffe carried out
their biggest attack yet, targeting the City of
London and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Joseph Beattie reads from volunteer fireman’s
Frank Hurd’s account of the night:
“It had been a hectic evening. Jerry had been
bothering us quite a lot we were sent to an
obscure little street in the City.” The
particular street in which we were to get to
work was a real muck-up. The street itself is a
cul-de-sac… only about 20 feet wide with
Costumiers’ warehouses along each side. The
warehouse at the far end on the right hand side
had been struck and was alight. An 80 foot high
wall collapsing into a 20 foot road, with a line
of flame to one side and only a very narrow path
on the other side past debris and pumps. Not a
pleasant prospect!”
Frank Hurd died on duty while fighting a fire at
Smithfield Market. He was 24.
The last raid of the Blitz took place on the 10
May 1941, it was the biggest yet, killing 1,500
people - but it was also the last.
More than 50,000 people had died in the bombings
– with over 100,000 injured and a million made
homeless
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September
2010 