The Way We Lived

Growing up during the 1940s in West London, meant periods of disruption, uncertainty and danger. However, despite the traumas of enforced separation, there was a normalcy, a pattern to the life of this family. It was a time of living in close proximity to family and neighbours, with few 'creature comforts' and although the Second World War introduced added restrictions and worries into their lives, these were set against the security and support provided by family and neighbourhood ties. These early childhood memories chart a way of life that, as the second half of the 20th century begins, is drawing to a close.