Doreen
Born in Bethnal Green in 1926, Doreen lived in Mace Street and went to Morpeth School (which still exists today) at 11 years old, but only until the age of 13 when war broke out in 1939…
Doreen recalls a night during WWII when, despite the air raid sirens sounding, she stayed in bed, until her Dad called up that she had better get up and into the shelter, or he would bring her down the stairs himself! Just as she got downstairs, a bomb landed on the house, destroying her bedroom!
Doreen as a young lady (middle) with her cousin and friend, towards the end of the war at a bomb site which used to be a pub.
Doreen, February 2020
Morpeth School in Bethnal Green, where Doreen attended from 11-13 years old until war broke out in 1939. Photo by Martin Stone, used under licence
Doreen remembers dancing with friends, in celebration at the end of the war around the Eros Statue in Piccadilly, London (she also remembers having a sore head from too much Cherry Brandy!).
Photo by Eleni Afiontzi
Victoria Park in Hackney, where Doreen loved to spend time as a child. Doreen would usually go through the Bonner Gate on Sewardstone Road, which was close to her home, and remembers the original Chinese Pagoda before the current replica.
Photograph by Aleksandr Chalikov
Doreen lived at 5 Mace Street, seen next to the arrow, on a map showing bomb damage during 1945. The large black circle shows where a V1 “Doodlebug” flying bomb exploded, causing serious damage to the surrounding houses. Perhaps this was the very explosion that Doreen remembers badly damaging her bedroom? The area, including the original houses on Mace Street has since been redeveloped.
Map image from https://www.layersoflondon.org/ © OpenStreetMap contributors
