There is to be a festival of wartime films in Fairfax House York, previously St Georges Cinema,

A few schoollads from Fifth Avenue sneaked into St Georges in those days. One dodged under the ticket window in that long dark, side passage and opened the exit door at the back where the others were waiting. They went into the toilet in the same passage, then filtered in to the cinema one at a time. They could also get into the Rialto and the Picture House in Coney Street.

They picked potatoes, carrots, peas and swedes. Some also went on farm holidays harvesting and doing general farm work for long hours in all weathers. At Christmas they helped sort mail at the post Office, right up to Christmas Eve.

They would'nt do the same today and one or two might actually buy tickets for this festival. They all grew up to be law abiding, hard working, tax paying members of society.