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British author and teacher, Robert Westall [1929—1993]

#Probably due to the glasses and their similar styling but #Robert Westall #Reminds me of an Anglo version of Miyazaki Hayao #And it's cool to know #Miyazaki is a fellow admirer of Westall's stories too!#Cats

'The first raid came as we were sitting out to dinner. When the sirens went we left everything and ran down to the shelter. I sat at the shelter door and stared at the sunlit path only inches from my nose, thinking, "In here it's safe, but out there is Danger." I couldn't resist putting a finger out into Danger, like it was a bowl of hot water. Nothing happened, so I put my whole hand out, whereupon Mam clouted me for mucking about. I saw a beetle crawling on the path, in Danger. It seemed quite unworried. I imagined a huge piece of shrapnel coming down and squashing it flat.' Boy aged nine, Tyneside Robert Westall, Children of the Blitz (1985)

#world war II #the Blitz #antifascism #Tyneside #Robert Westall

'It was the first day of the war, when the siren went off in Newcastle... My brother-in-law, who was working as a roadman, was warned by the pit that there would probably be a gas attack and was told to go inform his family to take gas precautions. 'I was at their home at the time and we all set to, barred and sealed all the doors and windows, pushed pillows up to the chimneys, stocked the food and water into the bedroom. My sister's baby was only a few months old, and we had to install her in a gasproof cot. This had to be pumped with air. My sister was new to the device and we were all terrified in case the baby should get too much or too little air. My sister's face was like death. We were all gathered together in the bedroom, terrified waiting for news over two hours, before we learnt it was all a false alarm. We were ill for days after.' Girl aged fifteen, Hexham Robert Westall, Children of the Blitz (1985)

#world war II #the Blitz #antifascism #Hexham #Robert Westall