Silver cup and a Penny

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Jabulani Chwaula from WM CSV Action Desk on behalf of Beatrice Samuels and has been added to the site with her permission. Beatrice Samuels fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

Just prior to the VE day, they had a brighter Birmingham day with talent contests and I was a singer and I won.

Captain Price led the army band. Coming away with the silver cup I won, an old gentleman dropped a penny in my cup and said it would bring me luck.

On VE day there were big bonfires, etc and I made my way there, the crowed shouted “here she is, give us a song”

There was a blind accordionist there and I asked him if he knew “I will be seeing you” and he played it and I sung it.

The upshot is a few years ago. I was visiting my parent’s graves and there was an old gentleman at the graveyard too. Both of us said, we had many memories and he said he had one about a young girl who he set up after a song contest to get singing lessons.

I turned around and said, “Mr Davis that was me”.

We walked out of the graveyard almost holding hands.

Oh by the way,I still have the cup and the penny.

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