‘No, not at all,’ Glenys said firmly. ‘I hate sewing and I’m rotten at it. I’ve been working on a farm this past year, so I thought the Land Army would probably suit me best. And I’m volunteering, not being conscripted, which should make a difference, shouldn’t it?’

‘The Land Army? Have you seen their uniform? Them awful baggy breeches are enough to put anyone off, as well as them great clumpin’ shoes. I seen ’em at dances, a-treadin’ on their partners’ feet wi’ their great hooves. Now Liverpool’s a port, so there are plenty of them little Wrens in their black silk stockin’s . . . but what’s wrong with the army, eh? You’ve not mentioned the army and it’s the one service I can really tell you about . . . the ATS, I should say.’

‘Oh yeah?’ Glenys said sarcastically. ‘Got a girlfriend in the ATS, have you? If so, I can understand your enthusiasm . . .’

The young man drew the lorry up behind another of the same ilk. ‘Girlfriend? Don’t you have eyes in your bleedin’ head?’ he said scornfully. ‘I’m in the perishin’ ATS.’ He snatched his cap off his head, revealing that he – or rather she – had a neat bun of light brown hair on the top of her head, and turned to face her passenger. ‘Well I never bloody did! You thought I were a perishin’ feller, and me with a figure what’s the envy of the rest of my section!’ She laughed uproariously, jerking the lorry into first gear once more and beginning to creep forward. ‘Well, to be took for a perishin’ feller!’ she repeated.

Glenys clapped her hands to her hot cheeks. ‘I’m most awfully sorry, but the fact is it’s still dark and it never occurred to me that a woman could drive a huge lorry like this one. I know there were women in the last war but I thought they were mainly Land Girls and nurses . . . but I’m very, very grateful and I’d like it if you’d tell me how you came to get the job of a driver.’

Her companion snorted. ‘Forget the Land Girls, and you can’t join as a nurse unless you really are one, if you see what I mean. What’s wrong with the ATS?’

‘Nothing, nothing at all,’ Glenys said hastily. She felt she had put her foot in it and was remorseful, especially since the driver had been good enough to give her a lift. ‘Tell me all about it; the ATS I mean,’ she added. ‘I hadn’t really considered which service, and I only thought of the Land Army because of my previous experience. Do you think the ATS could find a niche for me? Before I moved into Wales I was a fully qualified teacher in a girls’ private school, with a certificate and everything,’ she added rather self-consciously. ‘I don’t suppose it would be very helpful, though . . .’

Her companion whistled. ‘I should think they’d jump at you!’ she said frankly, as the slow-moving line of vehicles drew to a halt once more. ‘Tell you what, I’ll drop you outside the TA office in Liverpool . . . no, no, I’ve got a better idea. You said you have money for your fare; there are cheap lodging houses near the docks and one of ’em – the fellers call the landlady Mrs Churchill, ’cos she’s rare fond of old Winnie – lets us gals have a room cheap. It’s not a long way from the recruiting office, so you could stay there whilst you make up your mind.’