shelter

You are currently browsing the archive for the shelter category.

3.3.41 [George Orwell]

March 3, 2011 in Greenwich, Gwen O'Shaughnessy, Political, War-time, crypt, shelter by orwelldiaries

Last night with G. [1] to see the shelter in the crypt under Greenwich church.  The usual wooden and sacking bunks, dirty (no doubt also lousy when it gets warmer), ill-lighted and smelly, but not on this particular night very crowded.  The crypt is simply a system of narrow passages running between vaults on which are the names of the families buried in them, the most recent being about 1800. . . .  G. and the others insisted that I had not seen it at its worst, because on nights when it is crowded (about 250 people) the stench is said to be almost insupportable.  I stuck to it, however, though none of the others would agree with me, that it is far worse for children to be playing among vaults full of corpses than that they should have to put up with a certain amount of living human smell.

Read the rest of this entry »

10.9.40 [George Orwell]

September 10, 2010 in Cheapside, Criterion, Greenwich, Holborn, Huesca, London Bridge, Madame Tussaud's, Marylebone, Old Kent Road, Political, Spain, Thames estuary, War-time, Westminster Bridge, Woolwich, air raid, bomb, cinemas, delayed-action bomb, docks, fires, homeless, incendiary bomb, letters, milk, naval college, newspapers, noise, power, screaming bombs, shelter, shops, south London, telephone, theatres, traffic, trams, unexploded bomb by orwelldiaries

Can’t write much of the insanities of the last few days.  It is not so much that the bombing is worrying in itself as that the disorganisation of traffic, frequent difficulty of telephoning, shutting of shops whenever there is a raid on, etc., etc., combined with the necessity of getting on with one’s ordinary work, wear one out and turn life into a constant scramble to catch up lost time.  Herewith a few notes on bombs, etc.:-

Read the rest of this entry »

16.8.40 [George Orwell]

August 16, 2010 in Channel, Egypt, Marx, Political, Wallington, War-time, air battles, air raid, bombs, oats, rabbits, shelter, somaliland by orwelldiaries

Things are evidently going badly in Somaliland, which is the flanking operation in the attack on Egypt. Enormous air battles over the Channel, with, if the reports are anywhere near the truth, stupendous German losses. E.g. about 145 were reported shot down yesterday. . . . The people of Inner London could do with one real raid to teach them how to behave. At present everyone’s behaviour is foolish in the extreme, everything except transport being held up but no precautions taken. For the first 15 seconds there is great alarm, blowing of whistles and shouts to children to go indoors, then people begin to congregate on the streets and gaze expectantly at the sky. In the daytime people are apparently ashamed to go into the shelters till they hear the bombs.

Read the rest of this entry »

25.6.40 [George Orwell]

June 25, 2010 in America, Germans, Home Service Battalions, Political, War-time, air raid, false alarm, gas masks, left, shelter by orwelldiaries

Last night an air raid warning about 1 a.m. It was a false alarm as regards London, but evidently there was a real raid somewhere. We got up and dressed, but did not go to the shelter. This is what everyone did, i.e. got up and then simply stood about talking, which seems very foolish. But it seems natural to get up when one hears a siren, and then in the absence of gunfire or other excitement one is ashamed to go to the shelter.

Read the rest of this entry »