Best. Story. Yet.

Telling it all 21

It has taken a long time, but Peter is coming into his own with this most recent video.
He was fourteen when the War came. At first he was able to push it away from everyday consciousness because it wasn't real. But it finally came, that first terrible day when there was an all-night air raid, when the reality of war was seared forever into his memory.

I suppose if I were very clever I could describe the event in graphic details, but I'm not that clever. I can only tell you that in the middle of the night there was tremendous explosions and vibrations of the house and my mother and father were shouting to us to "Get out" and get out into the shelter, which, of course, we did. So we went into this cold, dark, damp place and -- I don't know again how to describe it -- I think the best thing I could get you to imagine is that I was just shit-scared -- cold, shit-scared and frightened.

Now nearly eighty, one can tell from watching and listening that his experience as a boy is as vivid and moving today as it was in 1941. When they emerged from the shelter his first concern was for their dog, a near-feral little outdoor creature which he had never before even held but which was still, like all pets, a valued part of the family.

The music at the end is a historic treasure, transcribed to digital format from an old vinyl record.
As I listened I recalled the same melody from another time and place long, long ago...
It brought me to tears.

Don't miss this one.