Wartime on Coronation Street Read online

  WARTIME ON CORONATION STREET

  Maggie Sullivan

  Copyright

  Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

  1 London Bridge Street

  London SE1 9GF

  www.harpercollins.co.uk

  First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2021

  Coronation Street is an ITV Studios Production

  Copyright © ITV Ventures Limited 2021

  Cover design by Claire Ward © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2021

  Cover photograph © Collaboration JS/Arcangel Images (land girl with bicycle); Rekha Arcangel/Arcangel Images (2 land girls) and Stephen Searle/Alamy Stock Photo (Coronation Street background)

  Maggie Sullivan asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

  A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

  Source ISBN: 9780008419851

  Ebook Edition © February 2021 ISBN: 9780008444938

  Version: 2021-01-22

  Dedication

  To Ann Parker and Jannet Wright

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Part One: April 1943

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Part Two: The Land Girls

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Epilogue

  Violet Carson

  Acknowledgements

  Keep Reading …

  About the Author

  Also by Maggie Sullivan

  About the Publisher

  Part One

  April 1943

  Chapter 1

  ‘Eeh, she’s not got the sense she were born with, my Vera. Some of the things she says and does!’ Ena Sharples gave an exaggerated sigh as she emptied the bottle of milk stout into her glass and looked in turn at each of her two companions. Ena got together with Martha Longhurst and Minnie Caldwell most nights at this hour in the snug at the Rovers Return in Coronation Street. It was Weatherfield’s most popular local if you believed Annie Walker, the pub’s landlady.

  ‘It’s the same with our Lily,’ Martha said, matching Ena’s sigh. ‘I despair what she might be getting up to next.’

  ‘If you don’t mind my saying,’ Minnie Caldwell cleared her throat though her voice was still muffled, ‘Vera does have a few years on your lass, Martha. Such behaviour’s more likely to be expected of Lily. How old is your Vera now, Ena?’

  ‘She’ll be 23 next March,’ Ena said, staring straight ahead, her lips set tightly together. ‘Though you wouldn’t know it sometimes. I still maintain she’s not been the same since she was dropped on her head when she was a kiddie.’

  ‘True enough, my Lily’s only 17.’ Martha couldn’t help a note of pride in her voice as her lips twitched into a smile. ‘But the two of them get on well enough together,’ she added quickly. ‘It’s quite surprising, really.’

  ‘That’s true. Vera always likes it whenever Lily comes over to the Mission when I have to go out for a long while. Though of course I never tell her the real reason Lily’s there.’

  ‘I was thinking more about the times Vera’s been over at our place.’ Martha stopped, aware that Ena had looked up sharply. ‘Though it’s only happened once or twice.’

  ‘And when was that?’ Ena demanded.

  ‘I don’t remember exactly.’ Martha wished she’d never spoken. ‘It was a while ago. And that reminds me,’ she said quickly, ‘do you still want Lily to come and sit with Vera tomorrow night?’

  Ena pulled a creased cotton handkerchief from her handbag and wiped a dew drop from her nose. ‘Yes, I do, as a matter of fact. I might be out late and I’ll feel better in my mind if I know Vera’s not on her own.’

  ‘Of course.’ Martha sat well back to avoid Ena’s glare.

  ‘It’s because I’ve got to go and sort out the order of hymns for a marriage ceremony we’ve got on at the Mission next week,’ Ena said.

  ‘Oh, who’s getting wed?’ Martha asked, glad to break the tension.

  ‘One of the young Joneses from Rosamund Street and I’ve to play the music for them. I need to find out what’s what so’s I can practise the accompaniment.’

  Martha managed to suppress a giggle. Ena’s harmonium playing was legendary in Coronation Street. She’d belt out tunes on her old harmonium at the Mission of Glad Tidings whether anyone wanted to be accompanied or not. ‘All right,’ Martha said, ‘I’ll ask her to come round straight from work, shall I? I’m sure she won’t mind.’

  ‘Aye,’ Ena said, ‘that way Vera’ll think she’s just stopping by for a chat.’

  ‘Do you not think it might be time for you to leave Vera on her own more?’ Minnie said suddenly, though her voice was barely above a whisper and her gaze didn’t get beyond the top button of Ena’s double-breasted coat. ‘I know you leave her for the odd hour or so when you pop in to the Rovers, Ena, but don’t you think you could start leaving her alone in the vestry for longer now?’ Her voice trailed off and she stared down at her lap, almost overwhelmed that she’d dared to voice an opinion. She and Martha had often discussed the fact that Ena’s protectiveness made Vera seem slower than perhaps she really was, but neither of them had ever plucked up the courage to say so.

  For a moment Ena looked as if she was about to scold Minnie, and Minnie and Martha exchanged worried glances. But to their relief Ena merely shook her head. ‘I don’t want to leave her alone any longer than I have to. And neither would you. Not if you knew the kind of daft things she can get up to, even when I’m there.’

  ‘Like what?’ Martha asked.

  ‘Never mind that!’ Ena brushed her aside. ‘She’s weak and she’s easily led. Just ripe for folk like that Elsie Tanner to tempt her into wicked ways. You’ve got to have eyes in the back of your head when you’ve got neighbours like her,’ Ena went on, and she wagged her finger at no one in particular. ‘I get worried every time I see her even talking to Vera. I swear I’ll swing for that woman one day, but I’ll not let her lead my daughter astray.’ With that, she gulped down the last of her drink and hurriedly made her way out of th
e pub.

  Elsie Tanner knocked on the door of the vestry and Vera Sharples opened it.

  ‘Hello, love, it’s good to see you. Are you all right?’

  ‘Yes, thanks, Mrs Tanner, I’m fine,’ Vera said. ‘Ooh, you look nice.’

  Elsie was wearing a snugly fitting dress with a low-cut bodice in a striking reddish print. It matched the red of her hair which had been piled up into stiff curls on top of her head as though she was ready for a special outing.

  ‘Is your mam in?’ Elsie asked with a smile, though she already knew the answer to her question.

  ‘No, she’s out,’ Vera said. ‘Lily’s here with me.’ She indicated the sitting room. ‘She came round after work and I’ve made us a spam sandwich. Would you like one?’ She opened the door wider to let Elsie in, and she couldn’t help commenting on her silk stockings and high-heeled shoes.

  ‘A present,’ Elsie said, and to Vera’s astonishment she winked. ‘No thanks to the sandwich, but I might have a cup of summat if you can spare it.’

  ‘We’ve got a bit of Camp left in the bottle – will that do?’ Vera asked; she’d been given strict instructions not to offer tea to anyone without Ena’s say so, as it was heavily rationed.

  ‘That would be lovely. Thanks, love.’ And Elsie carefully checked the street before she shut the door and followed Vera into the back room.

  Vera and her mother had lived in the two-room living quarters behind the Mission of Glad Tidings for several years now, but they still didn’t have much in the way of equipment or crockery. Vera took down the remaining cup from the dresser and put it on the freshly scrubbed table top. ‘We have no more ration coupons till next week, I’m afraid,’ Vera said.

  ‘That’s all right,’ Elsie responded with a smile.

  ‘Do you know Lily Longhurst?’ Vera asked.

  Elsie nodded towards Lily. ‘Martha’s lass? Of course. Hello chuck,’ she said, ‘and as a matter of fact I’m glad you’re here, Lily. This could be your lucky night.’ She turned to Vera. ‘I was wondering if you knew anything about the GI barracks out at Burtonwood?’ Elsie said.

  ‘No.’ Vera shook her head. ‘What’s that?’

  ‘It’s not far from here. It’s the place where the American soldiers are based.’

  Vera shrugged. She topped up a spoonful of the Camp coffee essence that she’d measured into the cup with boiling water from the pan that was hanging over the hearth and passed it to Elsie.

  ‘Well, they’ve got a dance on there tonight at the barracks,’ Elsie said. ‘And I hear that they’re looking for more girls to dance with the soldiers. They haven’t got enough.’

  Vera’s eyes lit up and she looked at Lily. ‘That sounds nice! What do you think, Lily?’

  ‘Of course, you might have to ask your mother, before you can decide,’ Elsie said before Lily could answer, ‘but I did wonder if you might like to go?’

  Vera’s eyes widened.

  ‘Is anyone else going from round here?’ Lily wanted to know.

  ‘Well, I’m going and I know there’s at least a couple of other girls from Coronation Street and a couple from Rosamund Street who are keen to go,’ Elsie said.

  ‘I’ve never been to a proper dance,’ Vera said and she clapped her hands like a little girl and looked at Elsie defiantly. ‘But I can’t ask my mother if she’s not here, can I? And in any case, I know what she’ll say.’ For a moment she looked as if she might burst into tears. ‘It’s what she always says.’ She took a deep breath and her expression brightened. ‘But I want to go.’

  ‘Then why don’t we both go!’ Lily said. ‘I’d like to see my mam try and stop me.’

  ‘You’d better leave a note for your mother, Vera,’ Elsie suggested, ‘or she’ll be thinking you’ve gone missing or summat and get the police out.’

  Vera giggled. ‘How will we get there?’ she asked.

  ‘We don’t have to worry about that. The American soldiers will send one of their trucks to pick us up,’ Elsie said. ‘If they want us, they have to fetch us, I always say.’

  Now Vera hugged herself and giggled again. ‘It’s so exciting! But what should I wear?’

  ‘Do we have to dress up, Mrs Tanner?’ Lily asked. ‘You look lovely if you don’t mind my saying!’

  Elsie laughed. ‘I don’t mind one little bit. Compliments are always welcome. Us girls have to take every opportunity to dress up, you know, Lily. We so rarely get the chance these days. Don’t forget I’ve got little’uns at home, I’m not so footloose and fancy-free as you two. I’ve got to make the most of it.’ Then she leaned across the table, her cleavage startlingly apparent. ‘And I think you’d both better call me Elsie if we’re going off to the dance together, don’t you?’

  ‘I’ll have to go home and change,’ Lily said.

  ‘That’s fine. If you could be back here in say, an hour?’ Elsie said. ‘Then we’ll be in good time. I’ve got a sitter coming for little Linda and baby Dennis.’

  ‘I can be ready in an hour,’ Vera said. She looked really excited and, without heed, she stepped forward to make faces in the mirror that was over the mantelpiece.

  ‘What are you doing? Be careful of the flames!’ Elsie cried, and managed to haul her back in time, but Vera didn’t seem to be aware of the danger. She was too busy pouting and running her fingers through her mousey-coloured hair, dragging it forwards across her right eye in the way she’d seen Veronica Lake do in the cinema. But Vera had a small, heart-shaped face that was almost completely covered by the lank curtain of hair, so that far from looking sexy, she hid most of her features and it was impossible to see her eyes at all.

  ‘I don’t care what my mother would say,’ she said, giving up on her hair, but she knew her words sounded much bolder than she felt.

  Lily ran all the way home. She was very excited and wanted to share her good news. She had made up her mind to go, whatever her mother said, though she hoped Martha wouldn’t object to her going to a dance. After all, it wasn’t every day she and Vera had the chance to go to a proper grown-up do with swing music and lots of men to dance with, though she thought it might be better not to say that they would be going with Elsie Tanner.

  But when she arrived she found her father was home and she knew she would have a different kind of battle on her hands. Percy Longhurst was sitting at the dining table in his shirt sleeves, the morning’s racing pages open in front of him, and he was shouting abuse at her mother who wasn’t even in the room. As usual, Martha was in the kitchen where the banging of dishes and the rattling of pans threatened to drown out the abuse she was hurling back at her husband.

  ‘And if you’re not gambling it away, you lazy good-for-nothing, then you’re pouring it down your throat!’ It was not the first time Lily had heard Martha’s accusations. She always tried to escape when they argued like this, but for a moment she was rooted to the spot.

  ‘Don’t you talk about me like that, when you spend every blooming night in the Rovers with your so-called pals.’

  ‘You can’t compare my two glasses of milk stout to what you manage to put away of a night. More than half of your wages’ worth some nights, I reckon.’

  ‘So what? I usually manage to win back most of what that costs by the next dinner time.’

  Martha laughed. ‘Are you kidding me? All I see is the money going out and staying out. How many times have I not had enough from you to put a decent meal on the table? If I wouldn’t do my few hours in the corner shop I don’t know where we’d be. Starving, most like.’

  Neither of them seemed to notice Lily coming in and for several minutes she stood at the foot of the stairs in the living room, not wanting to draw attention to herself. They were trading the same old arguments and she had heard them all before so when she could stand it no longer she covered her ears with her hands and made her way up to her bedroom to change. The words were still flying freely when she came back down again, but Martha had moved into the living room.

  Lily had settled for the pr
etty summer frock that Martha had made for her the previous summer that fortunately still fitted but she hesitated to show it off now, not sure whether she wanted them to notice her at all. The dress was in a heavy starched cotton and was covered with pink and blue flowers that she thought looked pretty against her pale complexion. At 17, she was very proud of her trim figure and the style of the dress was flattering with the shoulders widening out into puff sleeves and the bodice tapering towards her tiny waist that she liked to emphasize with a narrow belt. It was such a contrast to the shapeless overalls she had to wear at work when she had to make sure there was nothing that could catch in the sewing machine where she sat buttonholing and hemming all day. But if it was compliments she was hoping for she could see from the angry looks on their faces that she would have to wait a long time for either of her parents to actually notice she was there.

  Lily crept down the stairs and was preparing to sneak across the room and out of the house when, to her horror, Percy suddenly reached out and caught hold of her wrist.

  ‘And where do you think you’re going, miss?’ He pulled on her arm and she was forced to stop.

  ‘Anywhere to get out of this madhouse!’ Lily cried, but the grip tightened painfully. ‘If you must know, I’m going to a dance,’ she said.

  ‘Let her go, Percy! You’re as bad as Ena Sharples. You won’t be back late, will you, love?’ Martha said to Lily.

  ‘Back from where? Where is this dance?’ Percy pulled Lily towards him. ‘Cos I say you’re not going anywhere.’

  ‘Oh yes I am. Let go of me!’ Lily shouted, trying to free her arm. ‘I’m going with Vera Sharples, as a matter of fact. As if you care,’ she said. ‘Her mother asked me to be with her tonight.’ She dearly wanted to shout ‘so there!’ and to thumb her nose at her father but she didn’t quite dare, though knowing that she had her mother’s backing she did feel brave enough to tug her arm free from his grasp and immediately flee the house.

  Vera was all ready and waiting when Lily returned. She was peeking through the net curtains of the parlour and she ran immediately to open the front door. ‘I thought I’d wear my best dress,’ she said, holding out the pink rayon and net skirt for Lily to admire. It had cap sleeves with little bows on the top and tiny frills that ran the whole way down the front. ‘Mam says I look nice in this. And I like it too. Do you like it?’ She did a twirl. ‘It’s got a belt – and see, it fastens at the front so that I don’t need anyone to help button it up.’