Granger 32
- This article is a Biography
- Chapter 32 - War time and post war activities
"Life," someone wrote, "is just one damned thing after another." So it came about with us, so some of the brief observations I now make had their repercussions in the events that followed later.
Due to my disgust at the early trends of the war of the dilatory do nothing policy of the government, and all the newspapers, that backed them up, by pretending that everything was going to be a bed of roses, I joined the left wing, where I was really brought into activity, and made to feel that what I did could be of some importance, and after a time I dragged Ethel in also, although she never became a member. I became literature Secretary, where I soon held the record for sales in the district. Later, I became Editor of The Peterborough Leader, discovering then the power of the press for good or ill, for even with that small monthly paper we stirred officialdom into action in many ways, and got things done for the benefit of the people. Also, despite govern ­ment restrictions on paper, I got it properly printed by squeezing a permit from their reluctant grasp. It was the only provincial paper of its kind in the country. I was in the A.R.P., fire watching in the street and also, first in a factory, then in my school, where I met many people. Then I joined the Peterborough, British Soviet Friendship Society, becoming Publicity and Literature Secretary there too. I became really hardened in many ways as this will show you. After the fall of Dunkirk, the party put out a pamphlet, "Chamberlain Must Go", and we all had an many to distribute, so I had a few hundreds. I used to have a canvas shopping bag, which usually went in my bicycle basket, so I put a supply of the pamphlets therein to spread around. However, they were quickly banned by the procrastinating Tory government, so the police had orders to pick them up. When I got home, after a few minutes, there was an official knock on the door. I opened it. Two policemen wore there, one the chief Inspector. They questioned me about the pamphlet, so I said I had seen one and agreed with it. "Had I got any more?" Without batting an eyelid I said, "No! Why should I?" "Can we come in and search?" "Certainly, come inside." I replied.
In the front room they looked at my ample book cases and said, "You read a lot, don't you?" "That is the only way to learn anything" I replied. "Have you read Pritt's "Light on Moscow?"" "No, Have you a copy?" they said. "Yes. And I will be pleased to lend it to you." which I did. Meanwhile, on the scullery table was my bag, bulging with pamphlets, but they never looked at it. When they left I passed them on to a friend the next day, who distributed them for me. Later I went to the station to get my book back, and they thanked me for the loan of it. Often afterwards, I would find them following me around the market, but I appeared unconscious of them.
Meanwhile, Chamberlain had gone, and many Tories too cursed his memory, and thanked heavens we had a new leader. One night, before I was to give a lecture, I learned that they had arranged to listen in through the window from the cold out side. I hope what they heard did them good and worth their vigil. A few days later, when I saw the Inspector, he had a streaming cold, so I gently pulled his leg about the cold nights we had been having. I don't know if the penny dropped. Nevertheless, when we organised our Appeal for Stalingrad Hospital, I got a good collection from the Police Station.
We organised meetings and Flag Days, and Ethel was then in charge, as Social Secretary. I remember that I collected over £25 myself in about 7 tins, for the Red Army Flag Day, a record. We got into other flag days too, just to show there was no bias. So Ethel and I were seen around everywhere in all sorts of jobs and committees. It they wanted anything done, it was send for "The Grangers".
Never before, had I thought of myself as a public speaker, but on the various positions I got myself into, I forced myself to cope with it and I suppose successfully. Ethel too, was brought out into the public eye and took to it like a duck to water, but then women have no inhibitions about talking. As Committee member, we went up to many of the big London Conferences of the Soviet Society, spending week ends there while the V 2's were dropping around. We got used to that too, accepting the view that "The one you never heard was the one that got you." I suppose we were lucky. At one big conference in Beaver Hall, I was on the platform three times, a thing I would never have dreamed it possible I could do. I must say, that the first time I had butterflies in my stomach, but once I had got going I felt fine. In seconding a motion on the anti-Russian attitude of the B.B.C., my remarks were reported in many National Newspapers here, and even in the USA such was fame. I remember too, I had made a pair of new earrings for Ethel, red plastic stars, with the hammer and sickle, and someone wanted to buy them for £5, for they were unique. After another conference Ethel's and my photographs appeared on the front of the monthly bulletin report.
I was also taking an active part in the local branch of the united Nations Organisation, being a founder member, and had been for a year the Press Officer for the local N.U.T. and also an officer on the local Film Society. We were very busy people.
Then at the formation of the local branch of the Cancer Campaign, I was nominated for Treasurer, and Ethel was in it too. We did all sorts of things, Garden parties, Shows, meetings and a Flag Day, with the result that we did exceptionally well, so that we were awarded the National Cup for the years work. This meant that we had to go up to London to collect it. So Ethel and I, the Mayor and the Secretary went into the House of Lords for the afternoon, where Lord Hailsham presented the cup to us to bring home. So I had friends in all political parties before the end.
Ethel was working with the W.V.S. as Billeting Officer for the evacuees still with us and working in their Services Canteen. We got to know several U.S. Airmen, one in particular, Justin, had left wing tendencies. He often used to visit us and was only too happy to help us in the garden, which he said was more rewarding than camp life.
Life, during and after the war, was one of unceasing activity, meeting with many people. I oven moved a vote of thanks from the platform to Harold Wilson M.P. after one of our Anglo Soviet meetings at which he spoke for us. I wonder if he would remember it now?
As literature secretary, I had lots of books on Sale or return, and two of them ware on Astronomy. a subject to which I had previously been inclined, and these urged me on in this direction. One other position I now hold, was Chairman of the Peterboro' XX Rifle Club, and to help with outdoor shooting I bought a 2 1/2 inch telescope. When I turned this on the Moon and planets, as learned where to find them, this brought my interest in a practical direction, and before long, by May 1947 I joined the British Astronomical Association, and attended what meetings I could in Burlington House, London. Wilhemina was at the ballet School in London until 1950, so she could come in with me when Ethel was not there.
It was in 1947 that I purchased a bigger telescope, advertised in the B.A.A. journal, a 16 cm refractor, clock drive, (which never did work,) a camera and also an observatory to go with it; an octagonal wooden building, with a copper, hemispherical revolving dome. I remember that it came to us during the time we were away on holiday, and was thrown down in pieces in the garden. It took me a lot of hard work to take it apart and repair it, then put it together on a big slab of concrete in the garden, where I used it for three years, while I built the permanent brick building on which it was eventually moved in the summer of 1950, and where it remains until now. The set backs and difficulties I had to face and overcome to get it done would have beaten most people, but my party training had made me of stern stuft, to over come troubles. I had used the camera on a friends telescope, but later mounted it on my own, after remaking it to lighten it. In all this work Ethel assisted me even the moving and setting up, which is a story in itself. Afterwards she would come down with we of an evening to observe and help with the photography. I also began to write articles on Astronomy for my local weekly paper and then for the Children's Corner of the Daily Worker, so I got into journalism again. Also I was now teaching the subject once or twice a week.
I am afraid that I also made plenty of enemies too, for now that I had cast off my inhibitions, I wrote letters to the papers on all sorts of things, often to air grievances that people had made to me, and various points at issue taken up by the editorials in some papers, and they were often bitingly sarcastic in their phraseology but never the less they did get things done, but obviously irritated the bureaucratic minds of that powers that were, and they set traps for me. They asked me to make a lot of picture frames for the Queen's Portraits, knowing what I should do. The rest did them, but I refused, as I considered it was not part of my job to make school furniture, but to teach. In this I was supported by the Union. The rest hated my guts, but they also respected me for the fact that I would not kow -tow. But they had their revenge by giving me the dirty work while others got the credit when possible.
Ethel all this time was riding her bicycle, and so was I through some very rough winters. But the day was coming when we became more mobile. I had kept up my driving licence, which entitled me to drive anything, as I had hoped to get a car, if the war had not come along. So when, one day, one of my colleagues turned up with a front wheel drive cycle motor, of 32 ccs on his bicycle, for £10, it was not long before I got one too, and after asking Ethel, a few weeks later in July 1953 I got one for her too.
I fixed mine on my old bicycle, after getting the wheels and tyres seen to, and did the same for Ethel getting a back wheel brake fitted as well. They were Berini cycle motors, with a drive on to the front wheel. It could be lifted off to free wheel, or pedal when desired so to do, and the black bulbous tank, holding just over 1/2 gallon, fitted on the front forks, and with a little adjustment was made to go nicely under our cycle baskets. We both had carriers and I made illuminated number plates to fit on at the back and fretted the front plates too. Mine was CEG 4 while Ethel's was CEG 110. Later I adapted one of the old type drop down indicators, with a handle bar control on the right side. No one had such a thing until I did it.
Of course Ethel had to have L plates, and later take her test, which she passed at the second attempt. Then together we could travel where so ever we wished, and the world was our oyster. Some of our adventures will come into the later history, but this was the beginning. Later we advanced to bigger machines, I got a 48cc Ducatti four stroke with overhead valves and two gears, capable of 40 M.P.H. So Ethel, got a 49cc N.S.U. Quickly with two gears, two stroke, also capable of 40 M.P.H. From these mopeds I worked up to a 98cc racing Ducatti able to do 70 M.P.H. and 140 M.P.Gal. with a 4 1/2 gallon tank. Then we went in to four wheels with a Thames Estate Van, which brought us into camping, and later with the Cortina I got a small caravan, and we travelled far and wide over the British Isles. With this brief potted history we return to our story.
What links here • References and Sources • Help • Contact info