Derek Hall

Things couldn’t go straight back to normal after the war. We had lost so many ships and also getting the goods from other parts of the world into the country took a long time.

There was a lovely summer house over Hainault Park with a tiled roof, it was beautiful.

In this week’s heritage column, Hainault schoolboy Derek Hall remembers what it was like in east London as the Luftwaffe pulverised neighbourhoods and fighter pilots shot up residential streets.

After the war, I did my National Service at an airbase just outside Braintree in Essex.

Hainault resident Derek Hall recalls more memories of the Blitz in east London.

Hainault resident Derek Hall recalls more memories of the Blitz in east London.

Hainault resident Derek Hall continues his account of what life was like as a young boy in east London during the Blitz.

My early years were spent at Fairlop School, as this was the only school in the area. It was one mile away and we had to walk come rain, come shine, come snow.

Lifelong Hainault resident Derek Hall continues his account of what life was like as a young boy in east London during the Blitz.

In the first of a serialised column, Hainault resident Derek Hall shares his experiences living through the blitz as a young boy in east London.