Margaret Fowler’s Story

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Margaret was 15 at VE Day. She was one of seven children and lived at Coleby – a village between Lincoln and Grantham. Her dad worked at Ruston & Hornsby’s and her mum took in airmen’s washing. There was an airfield at Coleby – RAF Coleby Grange was one of the 27 Bomber Command stations in Lincolnshire. She left school at 14 but by VE Day was already onto her second job – at Ruddocks the printers. Her first job was at Watsons – a Chemists in the Bailgate in Lincoln but she decided to leave there because she didn’t like working Saturdays – it meant she couldn’t go dancing in the afternoon at the Astoria. She wore her hair in a page boy and enjoyed getting dressed up to go out with her friends. She used to make her own skirts and blouses – getting the material from the market. She remembers plenty of servicemen to dance with – though she didn’t dance with the Americans because she couldn’t do the jitterbug. She preferred to do the waltz and the quick step. It wasn’t unusual to have a date with an airman and never see him again – you would know they had been killed, says Margaret. She used to lie in bed and count the planes as they went out – and back in again. On VE Day, Margaret joined the crowds gathered at the Stonebow – everyone was singing and dancing. There was a feeling of happiness and relief – though she was aware the war wasn’t over for everyone. Image: VE Day celebrations at the Lincoln Stonebow courtesy of the Lincolnshire Echo