Interview with Pat Ashworth by Vicky Macdonald

Description

Short interview conducted by Vicky MaCdonald during the ‘Longest Yarn’ with visitors that shared personal memories and family stories in reaction to the exhibition. The Longest Yarn exhibition was a month-long tribute to the War Effort behind the D-Day Landings of 1944 - displaying a 3D tapestry depicting D-Day in 80 panels – was held at the Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno (October 2–27, 2024).

Pat Ashworth recalls wartime memories from her childhood in Hampton. She vividly remembers seeing Liverpool lit by German bombs and feeling terrified as planes flew overhead. The local hotels and offices were taken over for war efforts, including BBC broadcasts and government work. Pat describes rationing, losing her sweet coupons, and her mother’s cooking, which kept them well-fed despite shortages. Her father, injured while in the Air Force, was home during the war. She also recounts walking home from school, where a man would occasionally show children a photograph, searching for someone mysterious, which frightened her.