The Glory Hole
By Jabo
@jaboUK (64354)
United Kingdom
July 22, 2020 9:37am CST
When I a child we had a space underneath the stairs which my mother called the 'glory hole'. It was really just a large cupboard and it was used mainly for storage.
However, during World War2 it had another use. As soon as we heard the sirens warning us that Hitler's bombers were coming my mother bundled us (and herself) into it.
She believed that it would give us some protection if a bomb landed on our house. Fortunately we never found out if that was the case.
I absolutely hated that cupboard and the worst thing was that we weren't alone. Huge spiders and shiny black beetles were in there with us.
Mum reassured us that they wouldn't hurt us and tried to whack them with a broom. This made them scuttle around even more and I was terrified of them.
It was such a relief when the 'all clear' siren sounded and we could come out, and it's left me with a lifelong abhorrence of creepy crawlies.
The photo is the one that my mother had taken so that my father could carry it while he was away at the war. I'm the youngest, at the front.
45 people like this
42 responses
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
22 Jul 20
That's a lovely photo, and certainly must have meant the world to your father when he was away at war.
We have what your mother would call a glory hole in our basement - built in cabinets with doors under the stairs. I haven't noticed any spiders in there, but don't blame you at all. I'm terrified of spiders, too.
Those were very frightening times you lived in, in more ways then one.
8 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
22 Jul 20
I didn't really understand the dangers of war but I sure as heck understood the dangers of those creatures! (even though they weren't really dangers).
Sanitation is those days wasn't what it is today - I'd be absolutely horrified if I had any of those creepy crawlies in my house today. In those days people sort of took it for granted that they'd have to cohabit with all sorts of undesirables.
5 people like this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
22 Jul 20
@jaboUK Glad times have changed. My fear is that I don't know which spider is venomous or not, so decided to fear them all. lol. Same with snakes! I've been known to jump out of moving cars when confronted with a spider, especially one hanging by a web in from of my face. It didn't make a difference whether I was driving or not. Oh, the stories I could tell.
5 people like this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
22 Jul 20
The picture is priceless, your mother was a very brave woman, people are lucky to have a mother like her especially in times of crisis. You were such a cute child.
5 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (83074)
• United States
22 Jul 20
It's nice that you have that picture of all of you but I can see where it would bring back memories that weren't so good. It must have been terrifying for such a little child to have to deal with the sirens and of course the creepy crawlies.
6 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
22 Jul 20
Yes, I was more terrified of the creepy crawlies than the bombers. Of course I didn't really understand the dangers and Mum never showed us her fear. I didn't realise how bad it was for her until we were out together (when I was an adult) and a siren sounded. The involuntary panic in her eyes made me realise what she must have gone through.
5 people like this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
23 Jul 20
I can’t even begin to imagine what it was like to live through that. So glad your house wasn’t bombed
4 people like this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
23 Jul 20
@jaboUK I remember the cold war and our being trained to go under the stage in our school in case the Russians came to bomb us, all terrifying stuff but ours never happened which is so different from your experience.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
23 Jul 20
One of the houses in our street was bombed - reduced to rubble. We didn't get many actual bombings but we were 10/20 miles from the big industrial centres which were their targets. So we got their 'mistakes' when they missed. But they were coming over all the time so we had to take shelter just in case.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (121659)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jul 20
I wonder how much protection you would have really had in the glory hole if one of Hitler's bombs had hit your house? I'm really glad you didn't have to find out.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (121659)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jul 20
@jaboUK I have heard of Anderson shelters. I believe Gilly wrote about them once here on myLot.
3 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40316)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Jul 20
@jaboUK - What an adorable photo of your family when you were young! I have only recently heard about Glory Holes, so I was interested in your post. I hope you are doing well.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
27 Jul 20
@DeborahDiane I am mortified at that modern meaning - I haven't looked it up but I can guess. I'm not going to change my title though. To me it will always be a glorified cupboard,
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40316)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Jul 20
@innertalks - Ummmm. Yes, I looked it up. The meaning has changed substantially. Pretty shocking, I agree. 
3 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50597)
• United States
30 Jul 20
What a blessing that you and your family survived that terrible war. I love the precious photograph
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
25 Jul 20
that glory hole may sound as your saving 'grace' during the war.
with the latest technology now, i pray there will be no more world war, because there will be no 'refugee camps' for survivors to the war.
3 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
27 Jul 20
@jaboUK i am keeping my fingers crossed that those civil wars won't excalate to regional or world wars. one push to a button may eradicate us ll.
2 people like this
