The Girls of Victory Street: An absolutely heartbreaking World War 2 family saga (The Bryant Sisters Book 1)

by Pam Howes

  Basil smiled. ‘She’s had many a star under her roof. George Formby, Arthur Askey, Gracie Fields, Wilson, Keppel and Betty, Max Miller, when they’ve done shows in Manchester theatres.’

  The girls stared open-mouthed at him. Those were big names on the variety circuit and to think they’d be lodging in the same place they’d all stayed was amazing.

  He laughed. ‘Come on, you all look star-struck. Let’s get you back to your rooms and you can ask Rosemary for her stories.’

  Mary locked the front door behind her and set off down Victory Street to meet Ethel Hardy for work. A man was repairing the front window of number twenty-three and she stopped to talk to him. The house had been empty for over a year now, since the last tenants had moved away. It was a shame to let it go to rack and ruin. The window had been boarded up for a long time, since a lad had kicked a football through it months ago. She knew the man as John Barnes, an odd-job man who worked for the landlord who owned her own and most of the other houses on the street. ‘Are we getting a new family in then?’ she asked. ‘Not before time.’

  ‘A lady and her elderly mother, I believe,’ he replied. ‘She’s been bombed out down near the docks. Her kiddies have been evacuated and her old fella’s in France fighting. They put her up in a hostel but her mother is confused and they need a proper place to stay. The authorities pointed her our way. If you know of anyone that’s got any spare bits and pieces to help her get set up again, I know she’d be dead grateful. She’s lost everything.’

  ‘Let me see what I can do, John. We all help each other out round here and I’m sure the neighbours will step up and give what they can. When’s she moving in?’

  ‘As soon as I’ve walloped some paint on the walls and fixed this window. Landlord’s got a few decent carpet squares to fit that he’s lifted from another place so it’s better than bare floors. I’d say a week at the most, probably.’

  ‘Right you are. If you give me a knock-on when it’s about ready and I’ll have a few things lined up for you to bring across. I’d better get off to work now, so I’ll catch you tomorrow no doubt.’

  ‘Aye, and thanks, Missus, that’s really kind of you.’

  Mary hurried away, thinking to herself about how she could help. The new neighbour could have the double bed from the girls’ bedroom as it was pointless hanging on to it. Lord knew when Bella and Molly would be home, and they could maybe buy a couple of single beds for them when the war was over. They were a bit too grown up to be sharing now anyway.

  John would have to come over, dismantle the bed and carry it downstairs and across the street, but he’d probably got a mate who could help him. That was a start and there was the bedding too and some curtains she’d replaced last year but one. Better than nothing at the windows.

  Be nice to see number twenty-three with people in it again. Mary used to be friendly with the woman who had it before it was left empty. Sometimes the post had been delivered there by mistake. Hers was number twenty-eight. The postman was a bit short-sighted and occasionally got the three and the eight muddled up, but her neighbour had always popped over as soon as she’d realised the letter or bill wasn’t for her. She waved at Ethel, who had come hurrying into view, and as they walked to the hospital Mary told her about the expected new neighbours and Ethel promised to root out a few bits and bobs.

  The Bryant Sisters took a final bow and smiled and waved to loud cheers, whistling and shouts of ‘More!’ as they walked offstage to be replaced by Marvo the Magician and his partner, billed as The Glamorous Gloria on the concert poster. In the dressing room the girls changed out of their full-skirted dresses and into khaki uniforms ready to begin their Andrews Sisters act to open the second half of the show. Fran answered a knock at the door and let in Basil with a tray of cold drinks for them. The two-night show, at the Palace Theatre in Manchester city centre, for civilians as well as the armed forces billeted nearby, had so far been a great success.

  ‘That was fabulous, girls,’ he said. ‘They loved you. Soon have you top of the bill. More cheers and clapping for you three than any of the other singing acts I’ve got on the books right now.’

  Fran laughed and patted her red hair. ‘Don’t let Gloria hear you saying that.’

  Basil shook his head. ‘Those two need to retire. Glamorous and Gloria are not two words you’d put together these days. And Marvo is struggling with his bad back. Trouble is, there are not many youngsters around that are free to take over those types of variety acts now. The lads are all away fighting or stuck in camps here waiting to be sent abroad.’

  ‘Where are we tomorrow night?’ Bella asked, setting her uniform cap at a jaunty angle and smiling at herself in the mirror on the wall above a dressing table.

  ‘We’re setting off for the Midlands in the morning and then travelling on to Oxfordshire to play a couple of RAF camps. We’ll spend Christmas down there.’

  Bella frowned. ‘Whereabouts in Oxfordshire are we playing? And if we’re down there for Christmas does that mean we won’t be able to spend it with our families?’

  ‘I’m afraid so, love. It’s too far to bring you back. And as for the camps, we’ll be playing at RAF Benson and Brize Norton. All them lovely airmen need cheering up.’

  Bella’s stomach flipped. What the heck would her mam say if she didn’t come home for Christmas? Maybe she could go and stay with the family that was looking after Molly, or perhaps she’d spend it with Fran and Edie’s mam’s. Once they were back at the digs tonight she’d write to Mam and let her know what was happening, and then she could make some plans so that she wasn’t alone. But going to Brize Norton could mean bumping into Bobby, if he was still there, and that thought didn’t fill her with the pleasure it should have done. There was still no word from him and she hadn’t written to him since they’d left home. He hadn’t even congratulated her on the success of the Bryant Sisters. Obviously got other things on his mind, now Alicia was in the area.

  ‘Right, come on,’ Basil said. ‘Let’s get the next half of the show on the road. Go and knock ’em dead, girls.’

  16

  Oxfordshire, December 1940

  Bella stared up at the ENSA poster promoting their show that night at RAF Benson. The Bryant Sisters were now top of the bill. The poster was pinned to the wall of the large canteen run by the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes, called the NAAFI by everyone, and at the top end of the large, seasonally decorated room a makeshift stage was in the throes of being constructed by several blue-uniformed airmen. She wondered if Bobby had seen a similar poster in Brize Norton and if so, did he realise that she was in Oxfordshire and would be singing in front of him on Tuesday night?

  Or maybe he didn’t even realise that the Bryant Sisters on the poster were actually the girls he’d sung with. If he hadn’t received her letters then he would have no idea that they were now with ENSA and the name was officially theirs, and not just something they’d been accidentally named by George, or one they’d used at Speke Legion. The artistes would be spending Christmas billeted at Brize Norton and appearing on Christmas Eve in a special show in the NAAFI.

  The last few weeks had been a whirlwind of shows in theatres and campsites and travelling the country while dodging air raids by dashing into nearby shelters wherever they were performing, sometimes still in their stage clothes. It certainly wasn’t the glamorous lifestyle many of their fans seemed to think it was. But apart from that side of things, on the whole it was fun. They’d been backed by some fabulous bands from both the air force and army and a great camaraderie had been struck up with the troops, who begged them to come back again as soon as they could.

  Bella felt sad as they left each camp, wondering who would still be around when they next visited. Many of the troops were being sent abroad and as fast as seriously injured servicemen were brought home, others were shipped away to take their place. It was heartbreaking to see so many with lost limbs, head injuries and even blinded, and all of them so young.

  Fran still had
n’t heard from Frankie and a recent letter she’d received from his mother told her that no one in the family had heard from him either, nor was there anything official to say he was missing, so no news was good news and until a telegram came telling them otherwise, they mustn’t give up hope. Fran eagerly scanned the faces of all the soldiers they saw being brought in to see the shows in wheelchairs and even on stretchers, just in case Frankie had been sent to a different camp by mistake rather than the one he belonged to.

  The girls’ mams were spending Christmas Day together this year, at Fran’s house with the elderly grandparents; and then Mam was going to her friend Ethel Hardy’s for tea on Boxing Day, so at least she wouldn’t be on her own, Bella thought. It was hard though, thinking about past times with her family, and little Betty, all excited that Father Christmas had been and the carrot she’d left for Rudolph had been eaten. Last year’s disastrous Christmas Day she’d put to the back of her mind, along with Bobby’s Boxing Day confessions of love that had amounted to nothing.

  She still couldn’t understand the reasons behind his non-response to her letters, especially when she’d written to him about ENSA. She thought he’d be absolutely thrilled for her and the others. It made no sense, but there was no point in dwelling on it. They had a show to perform tonight and she would give the performance of her life. The boys in the audience deserved nothing less.

  In one of the makeshift dressing rooms Bella and the other girls took it in turns to use the only mirror to style their hair and do their make-up. Their new, full-skirted red dresses with sparkly bodices for the first half of the show, made by the seamstress who travelled with the ENSA team, were hanging on the back of the door along with white-fur-trimmed Alice bands for their hair. Basil said they’d look really Christmassy in red with a bit of white. They’d wear their usual military uniforms, which had just been dry-cleaned and pressed, for the second half as usual. They slipped into their dresses, zipping each other up and arranging their Alice bands on top of their heads, flicking out their hair onto their shoulders.

  ‘Are you ready, ladies?’ Basil shouted, banging on the door and making them jump.

  Fran opened it and smiled. ‘At your service,’ she said with a laugh, giving him a salute.

  ‘Wow!’ Basil shook his head. ‘You all look amazing. You’ll knock ’em dead tonight. Just what these lads need to keep up morale. Open the show with a couple of favourites, the ventriloquist will follow you, he’ll be followed by the dancing troupe and then the magician and you’ll all finish that half with a couple of Christmas songs, as we discussed. I’m sure the lads will join in. The second spot will open with Jimmy Calvert and his comedy routine, more dancing from the troupe, then you girls performing your Andrews Sisters act in uniform, followed by a big finale with all of you.’

  ‘Sounds good to me,’ Bella said. ‘And if that format goes well we can do the same in Brize Norton.’

  ‘Got it in one,’ Basil said with a smile. ‘Right, I’ll go onstage and do the warm-up, tell a joke or two and then bring you on. See you later.’

  After finishing the first half with a rousing, jazzy version of ‘Jingle Bells’, the girls left the stage first, followed by the rest of the team, and made their way to the dressing room. Basil had sent in a tray of cold drinks and they sat down and enjoyed the fresh lemonade, emptying the jug between them.

  ‘The air force band is really good, don’t you think?’ Bella said.

  Fran nodded. ‘One of the best we’ve sung with. Wish we could take them with us.’

  ‘Especially that blond saxophonist,’ Edie said, a dreamy look in her blue eyes. ‘He’s lovely.’

  Fran and Bella smiled at each other. It wasn’t often shy Edie showed much of an interest in a member of the opposite sex, but they’d noticed the young man in question looking at her and smiling a few times tonight from the moment the girls had walked onstage. Maybe after the show was over, and they all met up in the NAAFI for refreshments, he might come over and talk to her.

  They got changed into their khaki uniforms and redid each other’s hair, rolling the curls around their fingers and fastening them up with hairgrips so their hats would sit neatly in place. Sitting at the side of the stage, waiting for their turn, they laughed at Jimmy Calvert and his risqué jokes, many picked up from watching Max Miller no doubt, but he put his own spin on them.

  ‘Don’t know how he gets away with it.’ Fran giggled. ‘But he cheers me up, so that’s not a bad thing.’

  Jimmy left the stage and the dancing troupe ran on, amid cheers from the lads in the front seats as the girls began their high leg-kicking routine, never a step out of place in spite of the precariously high-heeled shoes they all wore.

  ‘I’d break my neck if I wore heels that thin and high,’ Edie said, shaking her head.

  ‘You and me both,’ Bella agreed, marvelling at how high those legs could go. ‘That’s it, they’re taking their bow. We’re up!’ She jumped to her feet and smoothed down the skirt of her uniform. ‘Ready, girls?’ They waited until Basil announced them and then ran onstage to cheers and whistles.

  Bella thanked the audience and asked if there were any requests for favourite Andrews Sisters songs. They came thick and fast but the most requested were ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’, which was always a favourite, and ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’, which they saved until the end. The bugle player in the band blew out his notes to perfection. The uproarious applause as they finished followed the girls offstage.

  The band played a couple of Glenn Miller instrumentals and then all the artistes came back on for the show finale, with the Bryant Sisters front of stage encouraging the audience to join in and sing along with ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’. Bella felt her spirits lifting higher than they’d ever been in the last twelve months as the troops stood up and cheered, clapped and waved as the performers filed offstage.

  There’d been a lot to cope with: Betty’s death, Bobby’s declarations of love that amounted to nothing, Dad joining up, Molly moving to a safer place, and Mam, staying behind for now to hold the fort so they had a place to still call home. There were some things to be thankful for and this opportunity of performing onstage with her friends was more than Bella could ever have hoped for.

  As the girls came offstage Edie turned as someone called her name. The blond sax player came dashing towards her. She told the others to go on ahead to the dressing room. She smiled at the young man, her stomach flip-flopping all over the place.

  ‘Err,’ he began. ‘I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed that, working with you I mean, and I wondered if you’d join me later when we gather for a drink, after you’ve got changed.’

  ‘I’d love to,’ Edie said. ‘Thank you.’ She nodded her head towards the room they were using as a dressing room. ‘I’ll be about five minutes.’

  He nodded. ‘Okay, I’ll see you back in the NAAFI.’ He turned and dashed away, leaving Edie staring after him.

  She should have asked his name. He obviously knew hers. She hurried into the room and whipped off her stage uniform, aware of two sets of eyes burning into her back. Fran and Bella were already changed into comfortable black slacks and blue sweaters, knitted by Fran’s mam, their hair neatly brushed.

  ‘Well?’ Fran said. ‘What did he want?

  Edie felt her cheeks warming and smiled. ‘He asked me to join him for a drink.’

  ‘And did you say yes?’ Bella asked.

  ‘I did actually.’ Edie grinned. ‘He also said he’d really enjoyed working with us. He seems very nice.’

  Fran nodded. ‘What’s his name?’

  Edie shook her head. ‘I didn’t ask, but he knows mine.’

  Fran smiled. ‘Well hurry up then, get dressed and we’ll go and find out.’

  Edie pulled on her slacks and a sweater in the same shade of blue as her friends, fluffed out her waves and straightened her fringe. She slicked her lips with pink lipstick and smiled at her mirrored reflection. ‘Will I do?’

  �
�You’ll do fine,’ Bella said, opening the door and leading the way.

  In the NAAFI the band and the rest of the entertainers were seated around tables that had been set with a buffet and an array of bottles and glasses.

  Basil called the girls over and they joined him at the table he’d reserved for them. The young blond saxophonist lifted his hand in a wave at Edie and asked if he could join them.

  ‘Be our guest,’ Basil said. ‘I wish we could take you with us on our travels, Steven.’

  ‘So do I,’ Steven said, smiling at Edie. ‘But I feel sure our paths will cross again – well I hope so anyway.

  As the old bus commissioned by ENSA to transport its entertainers rumbled towards Brize Norton camp on Christmas Eve, Bella’s stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots. In fact the whole of her insides were churning and she hoped she wouldn’t throw up. They stopped at the gates, engine running, and waited while Basil and the driver showed the on-duty guard their papers. Satisfied, the guard nodded, the large white gates opened and they were waved on through with another airman pointing the driver towards a group of huts that were separate from the rest of the camp.

  ‘Here we go,’ Fran said, nudging Bella’s arm. ‘You okay? You’re white as a sheet.’

  Bella nodded. ‘Just feeling a bit nervous. I mean, what if Bobby’s here?’

  Fran frowned. ‘Well, what if he is? He’s got some explaining to do, hasn’t he? You’ve done nothing wrong and all you are doing here is working officially, not chasing after him like some demented woman. Come on, you’ll be fine. Let’s hope they’ve got a decent NAAFI. I’m ready for a brew. It’s ages since breakfast. Come on, dreamer,’ she said to Edie, who was staring into space through the window. ‘You can write to him,’ she added as Edie turned her attention to Fran and blushed prettily.