}
Public Shelters
Cities across the UK prepared for attack using a variety of precautions and techniques. Some methods, such as sandbags and barrage balloons, were temporary, while others, such as bomb shelters, made a more-lasting impact on the landscape.
The local council arranged for a number of public shelters to be created around the city, such as railway tunnels, cellars, caves and crypts as well as brick-built shelters for schools. This meant that people would have a place to hide if they were away from home. Shelters were often cold and damp and, sadly, did not always protect the inhabitants. They were often smelly and sometimes locked so people couldn't get inside. Officially domestic shelters were preferred to public shelters but despite this during the winter of 1940-41 thousands of people continued to use tunnels, caves, crypts and basements.
Local people have vivid memories of their experiences. Esme remembers "They used all the church crypts in the city for shelters. The ones in the suburbs smelled awful as some people used them as toilets."
Disused railway tunnels were a popular choice of shelter, with some attracting up to 3000 people each night. Tony recalled "..we got tickets for the shelter at the Clifton Rocks railway but for the bottom only. Some people in Clifton were a bit snobby and they got tickets for the top but we weren't allowed to go up there."
As air-raids started taking place during the day, many schools held lessons inside a shelter. Mark who was a child at the time said "I thought it was great fun in the shelter....They had a particular smell - damp and musty. Whenever I catch a whiff of it I'm straight back there." Elizabeth also recalled "...we continued with lessons as best we could. If there was a lot of noise outside we would have a singing lesson."
The local council arranged for a number of public shelters to be created around the city, such as railway tunnels, cellars, caves and crypts as well as brick-built shelters for schools. This meant that people would have a place to hide if they were away from home. Shelters were often cold and damp and, sadly, did not always protect the inhabitants. They were often smelly and sometimes locked so people couldn't get inside. Officially domestic shelters were preferred to public shelters but despite this during the winter of 1940-41 thousands of people continued to use tunnels, caves, crypts and basements.
Local people have vivid memories of their experiences. Esme remembers "They used all the church crypts in the city for shelters. The ones in the suburbs smelled awful as some people used them as toilets."
Disused railway tunnels were a popular choice of shelter, with some attracting up to 3000 people each night. Tony recalled "..we got tickets for the shelter at the Clifton Rocks railway but for the bottom only. Some people in Clifton were a bit snobby and they got tickets for the top but we weren't allowed to go up there."
As air-raids started taking place during the day, many schools held lessons inside a shelter. Mark who was a child at the time said "I thought it was great fun in the shelter....They had a particular smell - damp and musty. Whenever I catch a whiff of it I'm straight back there." Elizabeth also recalled "...we continued with lessons as best we could. If there was a lot of noise outside we would have a singing lesson."