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Treasure found in the VE Day Fire - Letters May 14

The Wrekin was lit up in blue in May 2020 as the region was gripped by the coronavirus pandemic. Many landmarks were illuminated to say a thank-you to NHS staff who were working around the clock to deal with rising numbers of people falling to the virus

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The Wrekin was lit up in blue in May 2020 as the region was gripped by the coronavirus pandemic. Many landmarks were illuminated to say a thank-you to NHS staff who were working around the clock to deal with rising numbers of people falling to the virus.
... . .. The Wrekin was lit up in blue . 62747659. last blue | 14 May 2020 LO Light The Sky
The Wrekin was lit up in blue in May 2020 as the region was gripped by the coronavirus pandemic. Many landmarks were illuminated to say a thank-you to NHS staff who were working around the clock to deal with rising numbers of people falling to the virus.
The Wrekin was lit up in blue in May 2020 as the region was gripped by the coronavirus pandemic. Many landmarks were illuminated to say a thank-you to NHS staff who were working around the clock to deal with rising numbers of people falling to the virus.

Treasure in the VE Day fire

Yes I was only four, but as both my mum and grandma were patriots of a kind that no longer exist in Britain, I had been indoctrinated from a very early age as to why my 'soldier daddy' wasn't around. I have always been sure that my somewhat ladylike mother would have had no hesitation had we been invaded in picking up a tommy gun and mowing down as many as she could. As it was, her being petite, she was gainfully employed in crawling inside airplane fuel tanks with a welding gun.​

I was well aware that the war had ended but was amazed when I went out into the street only to find a huge mountain of burnables. Looking back, what I can never understand (as this was in one of the poorest areas of Wolverhampton) was that there were such things as settees and armchairs on the pile. When I was allowed out to watch, the blaze was huge but more importantly to me was searching the smouldering ashes the following morning. Most of my so called toys in my beloved toy box. I had collected myself so in addition to my lead soldiers, cut out silhouette of Winnie and a whittled wooden gun, I had a doll's head (no body), some marbles and bits of shrapnel that I had found in the street.

Oh the joy when in the ashes I found bed springs and ball bearings. Yet more treasure. The one toy too large for the box was a replica tank which I still have after more than 80 years made by one of dad's tank crew from bits and pieces and sent I guess via the Red Cross.

Alan M Etheridge, West Midlands

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