Wartime on Coronation Street

by Maggie Sullivan

  ‘We started stepping out soon after he was seeing me home when we were both working overtime. She couldn’t very well turn him away at the door and it wasn’t long before we were like – courting.’

  ‘What did your mother say to that?’ Lily wanted to know.

  Vera was excitedly about to close the door when she spotted Elsie Tanner on the other side of the street.

  ‘Hey, Vera!’ Elsie called. ‘Do I gather that congratulations are in order? There’s rumours flying around that you’re getting hitched – are you, Vera?’ Elsie crossed the road and came to the door. ‘If that’s right then we need to crack open the Christmas sherry.’

  ‘I don’t know about the sherry,’ Vera said and laughed, ‘my mam keeps it under lock and key, but you can come and join us in a cup of tea at least. Mam’s not in and she’ll be gone a couple of hours, I reckon.’

  ‘I’d guess as much. I saw her settling in at the Rovers not ten minutes since,’ Elsie said with a grin.

  ‘No doubt she’s telling my mam and her cronies the same story,’ Lily said, ‘so come on, Vera, and tell us all about it.’ She looked even more excited than Vera as she led the way through to the kitchen. ‘Are you and Bob really going to get wed?’

  ‘Yes, we are,’ Vera said, her eyes wide. ‘Bob asked me to marry him – well, I asked him really, but he agreed and then we talked to my mam, together, Bob and me,’ Vera said and she clapped her hands together like an excited child.

  ‘And what did Ena say to that? Was she surprised?’ Elsie wanted to know.

  ‘You won’t believe it, but she didn’t object,’ Vera said. ‘I was worried that she didn’t really like Bob but for once she was on my side, and we’re going to get engaged; it’s all fixed,’ Vera said excitedly.

  ‘When? Have you got a ring?’ Lily picked up Vera’s hand but let it go again with a disappointed look when she saw the ring finger was empty.

  ‘Not yet.’ Vera hesitated then said, ‘We haven’t decided exactly when. Mam thought Bob should buy me something really decent before we make the announcement and he’ll have to save up for that. He had bought me some cheap thing that I thought would have been all right, but she said it looked like a curtain ring and she made him take it back.’

  ‘Typical Ena.’ Elsie rolled her eyes, but Vera ignored her. ‘She wants to make sure I get a really nice ring that I can show off,’ she said and she held up her hand as if to admire her wedding finger even though it was bare. ‘Now wasn’t that lovely of her, for once?’

  Elsie and Lily exchanged glances but neither said anything.

  ‘And have you met Bob’s mam?’ Lily asked. ‘What does Mrs Lomax think of it all?’

  ‘I’d have thought she’d be pleased to get Bob off her hands,’ Elsie said with a grin.

  ‘Yes, she’s very nice and she did seem quite happy with it all,’ Vera said. ‘Though when Mam went to see her they couldn’t agree about where the wedding should be. But I’m not going to worry about that yet. I’m happy that we’re engaged. Well, almost engaged.’

  There was an awkward few moments of silence after Vera said that; even Lily looked subdued. Then Elsie said, ‘I’m sure you’ll be engaged soon, though you might have to accept waiting a little while before it actually happens. It could take some time for Bob to save up for a ring and then for your mam to decide whether she likes it or not.’

  Vera frowned, not quite understanding the implications behind Elsie’s words.

  ‘Did your mam say how long she’d expect you to be engaged once you got the ring?’ Lily asked. Vera shook her head. ‘I was wondering if you might end up having to wait again till they agree on a church?’

  ‘That’s true,’ Elsie said. ‘You know, Vera love, it’s best to be prepared that you might not be able to get away from this place for quite some time yet,’ Elsie went on. ‘You know how your mam can be. She might have led you into thinking you’re going to get married soon and then she’ll keep on finding different things to put in your way.’

  Vera pulled a long face. It was true. Now that she thought about it her mother had often done that. ‘We didn’t talk about how long it all might take before I could leave,’ she said, and for a moment her lower lip quivered.

  ‘No, I don’t suppose you did,’ Elsie said, her tone gentler now. ‘But she might be hoping you’ll get fed up waiting for Bob and then you’ll be glad to accept someone else instead, someone of your mam’s choosing.’

  Vera looked horrified. ‘Do you really think she’d do that?’

  Lily went to sit beside Vera on the couch and she put her arm round her friend while Vera used the back of her hand to swipe away a tear that had escaped down her cheek.

  Suddenly Lily giggled in an attempt to lighten the mood. ‘Of course, you could always run away and get married,’ she said. ‘Elope. Isn’t that the word, Elsie?’

  ‘Why? Is that what you and your young man are thinking of doing?’ Elsie laughed too.

  ‘His name’s Johnny,’ Lily said, then her face paled. ‘Yes, I’d love to be able to do that. To go and get married somewhere dead romantic, just the two of us.’ For a moment she looked as if she was going to be sick, though she continued to smile. ‘I bet that would be the cheapest option as well. Imagine, the two of you on your own, Vera, with no one else telling you what to do. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?’

  Vera laughed. ‘Where could I go that my mother wouldn’t find me and drag me back?’

  Lily shrugged her shoulders. ‘You’re probably right,’ she said.

  ‘And what would we live on? I’ve got no money. Mam takes my wage packet every week and only gives me back some spending money.’

  ‘What about Bob?’ Lily said. ‘I presume he must be earning enough to keep you both once you’re married.’

  Vera looked up. ‘I thought Mam had been saving my wages for a wedding,’ she said, her voice cracking and she began to cry softly.

  ‘Maybe she has,’ Elsie said, ‘because I’m sure she’d like you to get married. But the question is, does she really want you to marry Bob?’

  Vera had a sudden picture in her mind of Eric. ‘But if I don’t marry Bob then I might never really get away from here,’ she said in a shocked voice.

  ‘Oh, I think you will,’ Elsie said, ‘but you’re going to have to be very strong and stand up to your mother if you want your husband to be someone of your own choosing.’

  Vera stared up at her and this time she didn’t even try to catch the tears that had begun to stream down her face.

  Chapter 9

  Lily was really upset by the time she left Vera’s. She felt sorry for her friend that she was so restricted by her mother, always having to do her bidding, never doing anything that she wanted to do, but now she was beginning to feel even more sorry for herself. She wished she had listened more carefully to some of the things her mother had tried to talk to her about after she had started her monthlies, but it had been easier to dismiss Martha Longhurst as being out of touch and too set in her ways to know anything about being in love. Even the thought of talking to her mother about it made Lily blush. How could old-fashioned Martha understand the ways of modern young girls?

  Instead, Lily had chosen to be guided by Johnny Bradwell. She had listened to him, convincing herself that she could trust him, but now she was left wondering if that trust had been misplaced. She’d believed him when he’d promised to ‘take care of things’ even though, she now had to admit, she didn’t know exactly what that had meant. She’d told him that she loved him and he’d claimed that he loved her and had promised to look after her. Well, now that she was going to have to put that love to the test, she had to admit she was afraid. But she could hardly own up to her mother that she wished she had taken notice of her warnings, because it was probably too late.

  When she had woken up that morning, Lily had been sick several times although she had managed to get out of the house without her mother noticing. She had felt light-headed by the time she got to work and when
she had fainted the section supervisor had actually wanted to send her home. But Lily had refused, passing it off as something she had eaten that had disagreed with her and she had almost believed her own story; but ‘almost’ was the best she could do. She had managed to set her feelings aside while she and Elsie had tried to encourage Vera in her battle against Ena, but now that she was back outside in the fresh air she could feel the bile once more rising in her throat.

  Lily kicked out angrily, disturbing some of the loose stones that lay in the cracks on the pavement, and she didn’t care that she sent them flying into the roadway in all directions. ‘It isn’t fair,’ she said over and over, and she really believed it wasn’t fair if what she most feared was true. She curled her fists into the pockets of her home-knitted cardigan, thinking about what she was going to say to her parents. She had already boasted to them that she would be leaving home soon but before that could happen she would have to talk to Johnny.

  They met as they usually did outside the cinema and Lily was pleased that it was a mild summer’s night.

  ‘Can we skip the film tonight?’ Lily said as soon as she saw him. ‘I’d rather go for a walk.’

  Johnny grinned. ‘Great, I know the perfect place, it’s not far.’

  ‘No, Johnny. When I say a walk I mean a walk. Not a—’ But she never finished her sentence because he stood in front of her, preventing her from moving, and sealed his lips on hers. As soon as she felt his tongue touch hers, for once she pushed him away. ‘No, Johnny!’ she said. ‘Can we carry on walking, please? There’s something I have to talk to you about.’

  ‘Gosh, this does sound serious,’ Johnny said, though the smile hadn’t left his lips.

  ‘It is.’ Suddenly she stopped. ‘It has something to do with the Anderson shelter on the Field,’ she said.

  A look flashed across his eyes that she couldn’t quite read, and then she saw all the colour drain from his face. At least she finally had his attention.

  He pushed his hands deep into his trouser pockets. ‘The Anderson shelter? You mean where we were fooling around?’ he mumbled.

  ‘Come on, Johnny. We did a lot more than fool around, we both know that, and you said you’d take care of everything.’

  ‘And I did,’ he snapped. She could see anger flare in his eyes and she suddenly felt afraid. ‘You know I did so you can’t blame me for any—’

  But she didn’t let him finish. ‘Who else can I blame? I think I’m pregnant,’ Lily said simply. She had been determined not to lose her temper, or to cry, though she knew she was dangerously on the verge of both but she tried not to let her panic show.

  ‘You can’t be. It’s not possible,’ he fired at her and she so wanted to believe him that for a moment his bluster caught her on the hop. But fear clutched at her when she realized he was refusing to accept any responsibility.

  ‘You can’t possibly be pregnant from that night,’ he repeated. ‘It’s too soon. How could you possibly know?’

  ‘Because my monthlies are normally regular as clockwork.’ She hung her head, ashamed to have to talk about something so deeply personal. ‘I knew straight away.’

  He hesitated no more than a beat before he looked up and smiled directly at her as he said, ‘You can’t prove that it’s mine. How do I know how many other lads you’ve been with?’

  Lily drew in breath sharply, incredulous at his accusations. How dare he!

  But he wouldn’t let it go. ‘This is typical of you,’ he said, ‘trying to trap me. I must admit I’d been warned, though I didn’t want to believe it, but you women are all the same.’

  Now Lily looked up at him but her shocked stare seemed to give him more courage.

  ‘The trouble with you young girls is that you don’t know the difference between having a bit of fun and thinking you can trap a lad for life.’ He wagged his finger inches from her face. ‘Well, let me tell you this is one lad who won’t be caught up in your lies like that.’

  Lily’s eyes widened. ‘But Johnny, you said that—’

  ‘And if you believed that then you’ll believe anything. Don’t you know all lads say that?’

  ‘But I – I thought you said we’d get married soon anyway. You promised.’

  ‘How could I have promised marriage when you know very well I’ll be called up to the army very soon and the last thing I need is to have a nagging wife and a brat hanging from my neck?’ And to Lily’s horror he actually laughed. She stared at him in disbelief as he took a step away then turned back to look at her, his eyes filled with nothing but scorn and contempt. ‘You must be dafter than you look, Lily,’ he said and he strode away from her quickly and didn’t look back.

  Vera, mindful of Elsie’s warning, took every opportunity to invite Bob into the Mission, determined to show Ena that they were a happy courting couple even without a ring and that nothing she could say would keep them apart for long.

  One night she and Bob came back from the cinema early as the main feature film had been interrupted by an air-raid siren. It had taken a while before it was established that it was a false alarm and by this time the rest of the cinema performance had been abandoned for the night. Bob and Vera were sitting in the vestry sharing what was left of the tea in the teapot when Ena arrived with Albert Tatlock, one of their Coronation Street neighbours; they both sported their ARP warden’s armbands and Albert was swinging his ARP helmet in his hand.

  ‘Owt left in the pot?’ Ena asked and she glared accusingly at Bob.

  ‘Not much,’ Vera said. ‘We didn’t know you’d be coming back so soon. But I can top up what’s left with some more water if you hang on a minute.’ And she rushed to heat up the pan over the hearth.

  ‘Our lovely quiet evening at the Rovers was ruined when that thing went off and folk went rushing down to the basement for shelter. Albert and me decided we’d take a chance on getting safely back here and sure enough when we were halfway down Coronation Street the hooter went off for the all-clear. One of the firewatchers tipped us off that it had been a false alarm but we didn’t bother going back. I thought we could catch a cup of tea here.’

  Albert Tatlock sat down at the table and shook his head. ‘I felt sorry for that fire watcher. He said it was the third false alarm they’d had this week. I’d frankly lost count, but false or not, they have to go out and check, just in case. They’ve really got their hands full.’

  ‘Are they still looking for volunteers?’ Ena suddenly said.

  ‘Aye, they’re always on the lookout for new blood as you might say,’ Albert said. ‘Anyone with a bit of time on their hands who’s willing to do their bit.’

  ‘Well, I reckon there’s one willing volunteer sitting right here.’ She stared at Bob across the table and his brow furrowed as he glared back. ‘What do you say, Bob?’ she challenged him. ‘You could do worse than to offer to join the defence team.’

  ‘That sounds like a good idea, Bob.’ Vera sounded naively enthusiastic as she tended to the hot water.

  ‘You tell him, Vera,’ Ena encouraged her. ‘Sounds like the position’s made for him.’ She patted Bob’s hand and he recoiled, startled. ‘There you are then, Bob,’ she goaded him, ‘you couldn’t get a better endorsement than that,’ and she smiled.

  ‘You can go down to the town hall any time, lad, there’ll always be someone there pleased to sign you up.’ Albert joined in the conversation innocently before Bob had had a chance to say anything. ‘I know they’ll always welcome an extra pair of hands on the team; or should I say, extra pair of eyes?’ He chuckled. ‘They’re especially keen to recruit young eyes. Spotting a fire in good time before it takes hold can really save a lot of lives.’

  ‘He could become quite the local hero,’ Ena said, looking directly at Vera as she chose her words carefully.

  Vera frowned. ‘How come? He’ll not be in any danger, will he? What exactly does a fire watcher do?’

  ‘Exactly that,’ Ena said and sighed. ‘He watches for fires that start up from them incendia
ry things the Jerries chuck down at us from them planes. He either puts them out before they can get going properly, or he calls in the rest of the team if there’s a fire needs fighting. It’s a very important job – next best thing to being a soldier,’ she added cruelly. The blood rose from Bob’s neck upwards and he refused to look at her, but she couldn’t let it go. ‘Of course, if it was your ears or your feet that were required it might be a different story,’ she said tartly.

  ‘There’s nowt wrong with his eyes.’ Vera rushed to defend him. She put her arms across his shoulders and gave him an awkward sideways hug but he didn’t respond.

  ‘Imagine how important you’ll look with your own stirrup pump and your bucket and shovel,’ Ena went on as if Vera hadn’t spoken. ‘Oh yes, and your tin hat and armband. Those in themselves will make you look important. I think being a fire watcher would suit you down to the ground.’

  ‘You’ve already reported a couple of fires you spotted,’ Vera said with pride, ‘haven’t you, Bob? He managed to shout to one of the wardens in time for them to get it under control before it flared up into something big,’ she said, her eyes glowing.

  She’d have no opposition there, Ena could see; Vera already liked the idea of hanging on to the arm of a local hero and Bob had been too surprised by her suggestion to refuse. She sat back in her chair with a satisfied smile.

  Chapter 10

  At first Vera was thrilled by Bob’s new duties and she proudly boasted to anyone who would listen that Bob had now been inaugurated as a valuable young member of the local fire watch team. It took a while until she began to realize that, in practice, this meant that they now had less time than ever to spend together. If Bob wasn’t working he was out watching for incendiary bombs or any hint of a flame that could expand quickly into a full-blown fire. Vera now had to spend most evenings and large chunks of the weekends either on her own or trailing in her mother’s wake, much as she had before, as Bob fulfilled his role on the fire watch rota; and she began to wonder if the marriage that she had so longed for as a way of escaping from her mother and the Mission would ever really take place.