Lots of young children at that time were evacuated out of danger zones and those who stayed with their families also had their lives disrupted. Several Primary Schools were closed and classes were instead held in family homes. One of the Surfers was in this group and remembers about five or six of her classmates being taught at home. She also remembers that a bomb was dropped by a German aircraft heading back home. It landed on a local distillery – and some of the local men were immediately on the scene to see if they could salvage any of the precious nectar before the Police arrived to cordon off the area. Another Surfer, also taught at home, remembers the teacher having to throw a cover over the resident canary’s cage when it insisted on singing to the children!

Everyone was issued with a gas mask and on one occasion a Surfer who objected long and loud because she was ‘too big’ for the Mickey Mouse masks issued to toddlers – after a good slap she was issued with the regulation mask, very ordinary and in a brown cardboard box. There was also the excitement of having your own Anderson Shelter – for those who had back gardens. These were initially viewed by the resident children as another playground until all sorts of wriggly things made their home there.

Not everyone made use of the air-raid shelters. One of the Surfers, her mother and an elderly neighbour stayed in their top flat homes during air-raids as her mother, after being once in the shelters, decided that if the bomb hit the shelter or the house she would still be dead. Anyway getting out of bed in the middle of the night was such a nuisance.

Moving about in the blackout brought its own problems. On one occasion going to visit a school friend we lost the pavement and walked straight across an ornamental garden comprised of bushes and shrubs. The blackout was strictly enforced with air-wardens patrolling the streets checking windows and would shout “Put that light out” at the least glimmer.

Now that Remembrance Sunday draws near many of us will be remembering things that happened, air raids, sirens, blackouts – people we knew and friends we lost. As time passes memories grow dim but “Armistice Day” will always bring back the memories especially as the centenary of the outbreak of World War 1 approaches.

Sadly there are always wars raging somewhere which bring death and terrible injuries, both physical and mental. At the moment British service men and women are operating in places like Afghanistan and Iraq and deserve all the support we can give them - Yet another reason for wearing the Red Poppy with pride - The Garden of Remembrance in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gives local people the opportunity to plant a cross and poppy.. Either as a special personal ‘thank you’ to those serving in the armed forces or in memory of a loved one who lost their life in the service of their country.