What with the difficulty of getting enough food for the family, and recurring conversations on the endless accounts of death and destruction reported in the newspapers and on the radio, locals would occasionally and spontaneously manufacture some sort of emotional release of their own. We already had cinemas to go to, and the occasional variety show (not forgetting the noisy pavement fights after the pubs closed). But other relief valves were sometimes opened, and quite unexpectedly. The depression that burdened our spirits would just have to give way.

During the warm summer evenings, the adults would love to stand in groups at their front gates gossiping, until, that is, they became bored with it. Then some comical character would start opening a valve.

"Sshh! It either came from the Stanbury's lot or the Davies's across the road", Ted Rawlins (a neighbour) whispered.

Something soft had been hurled, which disintegrated at our feet like a silent grenade among our group. (Here I should mention that down the centre of our road there were daily deposits left by the tradesmen's carthorses, like small loaves).

"Alf, you slip away first, go through your house and around the back way, then down to the end of the street. Dai, you do the same. Come out at each end, and when you see us move, attack!  The  rest of us will handle the middle. Merv, you go quietly indoors and bring your brothers out here."

In minutes they were ready, with one waiting at each end, and the remainder in the middle of the street. Then began a nonchalant walk towards the large deposits in the centre of the road, a grab for the great lumps, a run at the guilty group, and letting-fly at anyone that moved. By now, the women had disappeared in doors, slamming all the doors and windows shut. They knew that their entertainment, gossiping, had now passed. This was a 'men only' affair that would end only when they were all smothered in the stuff. Afterwards, the clean up. Surprisingly, there was no animosity after these events. In fact, they were noticeably less tense;  they were friendlier to each other, having given way to their pent-up frustration over the war     until the next time.

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