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Here is a memory from my Nan during the blitz in southampton.
"During WW2, one evening, my husband and i went to the cinema. It was the Rialto on Shirley High street. Dennis was on leave from the RAF and we thought we would have a night out as we had not seen each other for sometime. While we sat watching the film an air raid had started, the Germans were bombing Southampton docks. Suddenly the lights came on and the manager said that the raid was getting worse and anyone wishing to leave could do so, well most of us went into the foyer but incendary bombs started raining through the ceiling. I panicked and took to my heels and out through the front glass door of the cinema, a tram car had been blown up to smithereens, it was terrible, i thought my end was up. I bolted up the High street, my husband flying after me, ambulance bells were ringing everywhere. There was an ARP Warden at his post and he was yelling to us to get down. Then we heard a SWISH of air and i went down, my husband on top of me and the Warden on top of him. None of us moved for a minute or two then the warden said, now get down to the shelter! But across the road from us had been the Co-op Dairy and Bakery, well that was gone, and the poor horses that had been stabled there were blown to bits, their bodies and heads were strewn across the road, it was horrific to see.
Well the Lord was really with us that night as that bomb was only yards away from us. Shirley High street was all ablaze nearly, all the shops were burning and the firemen were doing a grand job, it was really chaos everywhere. Finally we got to the shelter and did not come out until the "All Clear" sire had sounded. It was morning before we came out of the shelter, we saw the High street shops were gutted, there was hardly anything left standing. But it didn't deter some of the people, wardens were handing out big mugs of hot tea to warm us up from the shock of the night before, which some of us will never forget.

Doris Lowdon

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