I had no sleep that night. Not even when the bombing stopped. First thing the following morning Mum, myself and Vivvy walked round to Aunt Edna’s. The devastation we saw on the way was gut-wrenching. A whole row of houses a couple of streets away from ours had been completely wiped out. My classmate Roger lived in one of those houses and I was relieved he and his family were all right. They’d made it to a shelter in time. Mr and Mrs King weren’t so lucky though. They’d had a shelter erected in their back garden the same as ours and the bomb had ripped right through it, killing them both. I shuddered. That could so easily have been us.

Aunt Edna was indoors and thankfully OK. She looked shaken though, especially when Mum told her about Mr and Mrs King being blown up in their Anderson shelter. ‘You must go to a proper shelter if the bombing starts again. Promise me,’ Aunt Edna said holding me and Viv tightly. We both made her a promise. No way was I sitting in our shelter again – not when bombs were being dropped, anyway.

That night the bombing started again. It was terrifying, watching the sky lit up with fire as Mum, Dad, Viv and I ran to the nearest shelter with our neighbours. The shelter was busy, but we found Aunt Edna because we heard her singing ‘Down at the Old Bull and Bush’.

People huddled together to keep warm and most, including me and Viv, joined in with Aunt Edna’s repertoire. ‘Show Me the Way to Go Home’ and ‘Leaning on a Lamp-post’ were just some of the many songs we sang. It seemed to lighten the mood, taking our minds off what was happening outside. I suddenly felt brave. The complete opposite to how I’d felt the previous day. Instead of wetting my drawers like a coward, I comforted some of the other kids who looked scared. I even gave them the rest of my sweets and reassured them us East Enders were strong enough to fight off Adolf bloody Hitler.

The following day, Aggie and Nelly Brown left the area to return to their aunt in the countryside. After we’d waved them goodbye for a second time, Mum informed me and Viv that the next day we too would be leaving the East End. I begged Mum to come with us, but she said she couldn’t; the offer wasn’t extended to her.

I went to see Mrs O’Leary to tell her the news. I always called her Mary to her face, but would refer to her by her surname when mentioning her to other people. My mum had taught me that. Most of the neighbours I would refer to as mister and missus, or if they were close friends of my mum and dad I’d call them aunt or uncle.

Mrs O’Leary hugged me when I told her the news. ‘It’s for the best, Queenie. My heart would break if anything happened to you. At least you’ll be safe.’