Stan thumped him on the shoulder. ‘That heart attack was a warning, Jack, so I had to do something. Good to see you home safe and sound at last.’

‘It’s good to be back, Stan. I’ve seen enough of the world to know where I belong, so I don’t reckon I’ll be going anywhere for a good long while yet.’ He felt Rita’s tug on his arm and gathered up his things. ‘See you for a pint later, perhaps?’

Stan nodded. ‘Aye. I’d enjoy that.’

Rita took charge of the small case, and they slowly walked arm in arm towards the High Street, where workmen were clearing rubble and repairing bomb-damaged buildings. ‘I must say, Dad,’ she said, eyeing him up and down, ‘you do look very smart.’

‘Along with the rest of the returning male population,’ he replied dryly. ‘It seems we’ve simply swapped one uniform for another.’

‘But surely anything must be better than that awful stiff, ill-fitting khaki.’

‘You’re right. I shouldn’t moan,’ he said cheerfully. ‘So where are we going for this cuppa then? I thought we’d be heading straight to Beach View?’

‘I want you to myself for a bit,’ she replied, hugging his arm. ‘One of Peggy’s evacuees came back today and she’s organising a special lunch, so it’s a bit chaotic. We’ve all chipped in, and so there’s a huge chicken, sausages, stuffing and onion gravy. A meal fit for a returning hero,’ she added with a gleam of pride in her eyes.

‘I’m no blooming hero,’ muttered Jack, ‘just an ordinary bloke who got caught up in things too big to ignore or understand. I simply did what I had to do.’

Rita didn’t reply, and Jack wondered if she had any inkling of what he’d actually seen and done during those awful months of slaughter that followed the terrifying storming of the Normandy beaches when every day became a battle for survival as they slowly and painfully advanced towards Germany. He firmly set those memories aside, determined to focus on this homecoming and his plans for the future.

They turned into Camden Road to find the majority of the fire crew standing about on the forecourt waiting to welcome him home. He knew John Hicks, but the rest were strangers, yet that didn’t seem to dampen their enthusiastic welcome. He shook hands and chatted to John for a little while, asking after his family and his health, and then walked with Rita to the Lilac Tearooms.