Siren

I was pleased when it was reported in the paper that the flood warning siren wasn't being used any more. Every time the flood warning sounded, I was transported back to the war years, when, in the dead of night, we were ushered down, half asleep, and put in the gas cupboard for safety, which was under the stairs, I can't think now of a worser place to be put. Some nights we would be at the cinema, then on the screen, it would say the alarm has sounded, we would make our way out into the street to that horrible wailing sound, it was more disturbing than the throbbing noise of enemy aircraft. Then we would fumble our way home in total darkness, not daring to switch our torch on.