‘Yes,’ she heard one of the pilots in the queue ahead of her say. ‘The swines targeted the East End last night. God knows how many lives must have been lost. The way those bloody Dorniers were dropping the bombs those below wouldn’t have stood a chance.’

Livvy sighed and suddenly she didn’t feel quite so hungry as she wondered where it was all going to end.

Back at Treetops Bobby was sitting as close to the radio as he could get and as he listened to the report of the devastation that had been wreaked in his place of birth the night before, tears sprang to his eyes. Would his mam be all right?

Edith, who had tried to persuade him not to listen, suddenly reached across and firmly switched the wireless off.

‘Whaddya do that for?’ he shouted indignantly as colour crept up his neck.

Seeing how angry her big brother was, Peggy stuck her thumb in her mouth and began to suck it noisily. She hated it when Bobby was upset.

‘Because it’s not doing you any good at all to listen to that,’ Edith explained patiently. ‘Don’t forget there are Anderson shelters in almost every back garden in London now so there’s every chance your parents would have been in one of them and they will be just fine.’

‘But you can’t be sure o’ that can you?’ Bobby said with his hands curled into fists.

Edith sighed. ‘No, I can’t, luvvy. But worrying about it won’t make things any different, will it? If anything had happened to them someone would get word to us, so no news is good news. Now come on an’ finish your breakfast. You’ll be late for school at this rate.’

She was somewhat surprised when Bobby seemed to suddenly calm down and do as he was told and shortly after, clutching their lunch boxes and wrapped up warmly, she waved them off down the drive.

As the village school gates came into view Bobby stopped and turned to Peggy. ‘I want you to go on from ’ere on your own. OK?’

Peggy frowned. ‘But why, Bobby? Why ain’t you comin’ in? Miss Kitely’ll be angry.’

‘Just tell ’er I’ve ’ad to ’ave a day off cos I ain’t very well.’ Then seeing her confusion, he suddenly and quite uncharacteristically leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek. ‘Look, if you must know I’m goin’ back ’ome to check on Ma, all right?’

‘But ’ow will you get there?’ Peggy was frightened now.

‘Don’t you get worryin’ about that. Just be a good girl an’ do as I ask you, eh? I’ll be back afore you know it. An’ don’t tell Edith where I’ve gone neivver, all right?’