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Suddenly the picture on the screen at the Regent disappeared. There were the usual calls of 鈥淧ut a penny in the meter鈥� but this time it was different. Unexpectedly we heard the voice of Winston Churchill telling us the war in Europe was over. We sat silently for a time, trying to digest the significance of the news. Would we get more pocket money? Would there be more sweeties? For a second the world stood still, and then pandemonium broke loose. People screamed and jumped up and down for joy. Some hugged one another while others stood silently, tears streaming down their faces.
听听听听听听听听听听听 There were no more pictures that afternoon. The crowd in the Front Stalls poured out onto Regent Street to join the masses of people already singing and dancing outside. The excitement was infectious and strangers greeted one another like long lost brothers and sisters. Goodbye to rationing! No more coupons! I thought.
听听听听听听听听听听听 We surged into Burns鈥� corner shop like a miniature tidal wave.
鈥淭wo ounces of Sharp鈥檚 Toffees and a bar of McGowan's Highland toffee,鈥� ordered Davy Coffey.
Eena Burns looked up from her knitting.
鈥淐oupons, please.鈥�
鈥淭he war鈥檚 over. We don鈥檛 need coupons any more.鈥�
Eena was unperturbed.
鈥淟isten, son, I don鈥檛 care if the cow jumped over the moon, no coupons, no sweets.鈥�
鈥淏ut Mr Churchill said the war鈥檚 over and ........鈥� 听Davy never did get to finish that sentence.
鈥淚鈥檓 sick and tired of you weans coming in my shop and annoying my customers.鈥� said Eena aggressively. 听听听听听听听听
Slowly she manoeuvred her large frame from her chair behind the counter. No one in their right mind would challenge Eena, except from a safe distance.
鈥淵ou can stick your old sweets,鈥� called Leslie. 鈥淵our old cat pees on them anyway.鈥�
Eena wasn鈥檛 listening. She returned to her knitting.听听听听听听听听
So far the end of the war hadn鈥檛 turned out as we expected.
Never mind! Plans were soon underway for a street party to celebrate our victory over the Nazis. Some adult said it would be a party to end all parties.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Most of the kids in John Street were great party animals in those days. Birthday parties were fun but so were Halloween, the Twelfth and the rest. The party to end all parties would have to be something else.
Every celebration had a bonfire and it was our job to collect the material for the fire. Old wooden packing cases made a good starter for the fire and the usual people took advantage of our enthusiasm to rid themselves of unwanted clothing, furniture, oil cloth, anything that was combustible. This fire was going to be so big somebody said we should have the Fire Brigade standing by. Fortunately we had Crabby鈥檚 field so it was well away from the houses.
听听听听听听听听听听听 The morning of the party was cold but dry and people were up from the crack of dawn. A cart load of tables and chairs arrived and they were unloaded quickly. Everyone in the street would be there and the tables, when placed end to end stretched from John Street Lane up to the water pump.
鈥淭hem men are useless at things like this,鈥� said a wee woman, with a large family and an idle husband.鈥�
鈥淵ou鈥檙e right there, missus,鈥� agreed big Mrs Mawhinney. 听听听听听听听听
Of course 鈥榯hem men鈥� mostly were happy to be organised and they rarely interfered. There was one man who was great organiser. That was Jimmy Milling鈥檚 father. He was organiser in chief for all street bonfires and he directed us where to go to collect firewood and sundry fuels. Some boys were so zealous they borrowed wheelbarrows. Not all the neighbours were as keen as we were but if they had nothing to burn they handed over small sums of money for the party - in retrospect that was possibly a form of protection money.
听听听听听听听听听听听 The weather remained mild and we grew increasingly excited at the prospect of the greatest party of all time. Mr Milling decided the fire would be lit on party night so that gave us plenty of time. It was going to be the biggest bonfire ever seen. It covered half of Crabby鈥檚 field and some of the people living close by were understandably nervous.
鈥淣ot to worry, Mrs McKnight,鈥� reassured Mr Milling.鈥� My sister鈥檚 chimney was set on fire last Twelfth.鈥� 听听听听听听听听
Some ultra patriotic folk even painted the footpath outside their houses red, white and blue and there were Union Jacks flying from nearly every window. When party eve arrived the street was a mass of colour. Everybody was talking about the party.
鈥淨uick! Quick! Help! Help!鈥�
The hysterical screaming was coming from Annie Murphy, a nervous little chit of a girl, who seemed to spend half her life screaming.
鈥淪omebody鈥檚 lit the fire. Call the Brigade.鈥�
Not again, we groaned collectively.
We were at a loss what to do but fortunately Mr Milling was standing at his front door. He dashed across to the Allen鈥檚 house and started banging on their front door. We watched him talking and gesticulating before we headed towards Crabby鈥檚 field. There was some smoke coming from the bonfire but there weren鈥檛 any flames.
Before you could say Jack what's his name, the furious ringing of a bell announced the imminent arrival of the Fire Engine. It screeched to a halt at the fire hydrant on the corner of John Street Lane and the firemen jumped off the engine just as they would in a real emergency. They unwound a long length of hose and attached it to the fire hydrant. The leading fireman barked out an order and the firemen holding the hose ran to the fire. The water pressure must have been low for the water barely trickled out but the fire was soon declared safe.
Mr Milling thanked the men for their efforts and they cheerfully clambered on board the wagon to return to the fire station.
Mr Milling was not a happy man.
鈥淛ust wait till I lay hands on the eedjit who set that fire,鈥� he growled.
As luck would have it, Mrs McKnight had seen the culprit and she took great delight telling Mr Milling. It was his son, Harry. 听You can guess the rest.
For us party day arrived early. The adults were too busy preparing the food to pay us much attention. There were tins of biscuits and big bottles of Cantrell and Cochrane lemonade. We circled the tables, like sharks looking for prey, but each time we were shooed away.
鈥淚f youse put your dirty hands near them cakes I鈥檒l warm your ears,鈥� said Mrs Mawhinney, self-elected President of the Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child Club.
The story of how she once beat the daylights out of Budgie Mills, because he gave her cheek, was the stuff of legend.
Captain Sandford of the Salvation Army Free From Sin, was MC and he brought along his megaphone.
鈥淲ill you all sit down at your tables, please,鈥� he called. .鈥漈hen we鈥檒l say grace.鈥�
A report in the Chronicle the following week reported the tables were groaning under the weight of the food and I can report that our stomachs were groaning under the amount of food that had been consumed. The Salvation Army band appeared and entertained us with a rousing rendition of their favourite tunes. Hughie threw a half eaten potato at Budgie and nearly started a riot. The Silver Band arrived next and they played a series of stirring marches that had us sitting up to listen. After that it was time for games. There was an egg and spoon race, a three legged race, a wheelbarrow race and a piggy back race. Mr Milling had made a torch like the ones you see in the old pictures and he walked round the fire twice, with the flaming torch. The bonfire ignited readily and blazed away. We started dancing round the fire singing songs. It鈥檚 funny how the first songs we sang were Orange songs. Bertie Auld played the tin whistle and we then sang some of the old timers like Tipperary and Pack Up Your Troubles.
听Just when the excitement was at its height Sonny Gordon appeared. Sonny was a well known, some would say notorious, character and it was rumoured that he had been deeply involved in burglary and arson. Some people said he was a headcase. All I can say is he spoiled a good party.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Without warning he rushed to the fire and hurled a parcel into the flames.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a bomb.鈥� cried Sammy Allen. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an incendiary bomb.鈥�
Just how he knew is beyond me but we didn鈥檛 hang about to ask questions
The police took their time but when they eventually arrived but there wasn鈥檛 much they could do.
听鈥淚鈥檒l have a word with Mr Gordon,鈥� said Big Billy McCammon. 鈥淵ou might as well all go home.鈥�
No chance. We stood our ground, although nobody was stupid enough to go back to the fire. I鈥檇 never seen a bomb up close. Talk about a damp squib. Nothing happened and after a time people started drifting away. 听It was a sad but in some ways fitting end to the street party. After all we still had to defeat Tojo!