PER ARDUA AD VALLEY GARDENS!

I have just reread the interesting article in this issue of Spring 2019 on the Valley Gardens in Harrogate. I was stationed there 1943-46. Our camp was in Pennypot Lane. During our off-duty periods we walked into Harrogate via Valley Gardens.

Until the Americans came there was no bus service (due to a shortage of fuel) but after the Americans arrived there arrived by magic gallons of the stuff so that we had a regular bus service.

When we were fed up with walking we used to calculate how many ATS girls we could get into a taxi, in order to save money on fares.

At that time there was also a great number of trainee Air Force pilots stationed in some of the local hotels. The local people had a saying, “Per ardua ad Valley Gardens”, since after nine p.m. it was said that if one walked through the Gardens it was almost impossible to avoid stepping on khaki and air-force blue legs protruding from every bush.

I also recall a café in the town called Helen and Ada’s at which for 6d we could buy salad with chips.

On the day it was announced that the war in

Europe had ended we celebrated (those of us who were off duty) with toast and Bovril in the canteen.

It was proposed that we might extend the celebrations by going into Harrogate itself. This was knocked on the head by the Mayor who told our CO he “did not want the brutal and licentious soldiery in his town in case we upset the populace”.

Thank you for your always welcome and greatly enjoyed magazine – it is also enjoyed by my nephew in Perth, Australia.

Jonni Stratton-Brook, Egremont, Cumbria