Ruth McCart
"I looked down and my clothes and my legs were black. I tried to get home without being seen"
The Story
Ruth describes a world that seemed a million miles away from the horrific events going on around Europe during the Second World War. It is an inspiring thought that, while the merciless destruction of the Belfast Blitz was taking place, young Ruth was busy climbing trees, raiding orchards and exploring her brave new-found world outside the city.
My View
This was just one of my many escapades as a war evacuee. In fact, I had a wonderful time. The countryside offered a freedom that just didn't exist in the city streets of my childhood. I had a great time with my sister visiting farms, seeing all the animals, picking strawberries and, of course, there were the orchards to be raided.
Ruth has another story about the blitz. You can read it on the website.
The story continues...
Like so many children at that time, Ruth's education was badly disrupted by war. For many families in the post-war era, the practical need to earn income overtook any aspirational desire to acquire certificates and Ruth became one of the thousands of post-war teenagers who found themselves working in mills and factories rather than going to university.
The war's effect on Ruth wasn't entirely a negative one however. It brought her together with Francis, a young soldier from the Lincolnshire regiment who'd been posted to Northern Ireland. They married in 1951.
Later in life, Ruth was determined to acquire the education that she'd been deprived of in earlier years. She returned to adult education for 'O' and 'A' levels, and then on to extra-mural studies at university as a mature student. She also gained certificates and diplomas in management studies.
Now retired, Ruth will tell you that she has never stopped learning. She has a keen interest in literature, music, history and world current affairs. At 77 years old she uses the internet every day and enjoys listening to her iPod, going to the cinema and concerts and she thinks nothing of a walk to the top of the Cave Hill.
Ruth's mantra: "you only get old when you let your mind stop working"
Experineces of the Second World War have been a reccurring theme since the inception of Days Like This.
Here are some more stories, which like Ruth's deal with local people's memories of the great conflict
To go to John Edmundson's story
To go to Lois McKee's story
To go to Patricia Curry's story
To go to Jim Leckey's story
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