Nearly a Wartime Bride

This story is taken from an interview with Walter and Gladys Condy, and has been added to the site with their permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions. The interview was by Walter Love, and transcription was by Bruce Logan.
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[Gladys, you were nearly a wartime bride]
Very nearly. We were going to get married when the war ended, and our preoccupation was finding somewhere to live because there was of course no building during the war. It was a matter of finding a flat, very often sharing a flat. In fact the first one that we had arranged to go to, we paid a month’s rent in advance and we were going to have to share the kitchen with the landlady, and the bathroom on the floor above us with 3 business girls. So that would have been pretty hectic in the morning, I imagine!

[So what was the wedding like? The war was over but rationing continued.]

It was difficult to get material, so it was a matter of hearing that someone had material in and buying it. I got married in red, which shocked some people. “You’re not getting married in red!” but I did. It was all a matter of make-do. But we were very happy.

The next place we lived was a basement flat. My husband has good memories of that one.

[Walter]
We had to share. The bath was in under the stairs going down to it. But there was a passage down to it. So you never knew, you could be getting out of the bath when someone was passing.
Gladys’ parents were visiting, so I wanted to ensure the room was very warm. I got a great fire going, but it was smoking. I opened the window and pulled the curtain it, but I forgot about the window being open. So her parents sat and shivered, and I’m sure when they went home they said “that poor wee girl’s starving”.

[There was no central heating in those days. Were people tougher?]
Oh yes.
We were married in wartime. But I was still wearing my school-cap.

[Gladys, don you remember VE day?]
I can remember VJ day better. It was just a wonderful feeling.

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