[jamesicus]

Thank you for your continued interest AccyStanFan -- your responses motivate me to keep this thread going -- yes, I was getting worried by the apparent lack of interest. James

And now to revisit what was going on in our lives in Lancashire in the early months of the war.

Day to day life was undergoing some dramatic changes.

First was the blackout which had been instituted in 1939. With the threat of Air-raids and Invasion very real in the spring of 1940, compliance and enforcement took on new urgency.

All windows and doorways in private houses and public buildings had to be sealed off using heavy curtains, blinds, cardboard, or by painting over, etc., so that not even chinks of light could escape. Violators were subject to heavy fines if caught by Police or Air Raid Wardens.

Most street lights were simply turned off -- the ones that were lighted were greatly dimmed and deflected downward.

Dim bulbs were now used in automobile, bus and commercial vehicle lamps and they were fitted with slotted covers that directed the light downward.

The cabs of railway train engines were outfitted with overhead canvas covers which blocked the glow of the fire -- carriage windows were equipped with heavy black curtains or simply painted over.

You could be fined for not covering the flame of a match when lighting smokes (the great majority of adults smoked cigarettes in those days) outdoors at night.

Because of the pervading darkness caused by the blackout, most people carried flashlights -- they were almost essential when walking on side streets, sometimes even on major thoroughfares, to avoid tripping or bumping into people. The lenses on all flashlights were required to be partially blocked off and they could only be used pointed toward the ground.

In general, people soon adapted to the blackout and accepted its inconveniences in stride. My recollection is that people became more considerate and tolerant of each other because of it. I don't remember any major incidences of robbery, mugging or violent acts (rape, sexual assault, etc.) during the blackout although the potential was great due to the severely diminished visibility and enveloping darkness -- it was a different age.