Firewatch

Mrs McCarthy was born in Winchester, and has lived their all her life - she is almost 80 - and married and had a family here. During the second world war she was a teenage girl, living at home with her mum and two sisters, and working at IBM at Hursley House, in the village of Hursley. Her work was to stamp and check those ticker tape (cards with holes in!) which corresponded with orders made to the company. She made the walk from Winchester to Hursley every day with her work colleagues. During the war, she volunteered as a firewatch girl. They did this duty one night a week each, one boy, one girl, and did look-out for fires and listened for planes at the top of Hursley House. They were provided with a cot bed and a good breakfast the following morning! She maintains this gave her independance and although they never spotted a fire, she enjoyed the experience, as it was one of the most exciting times of her life. Apartf from anything else, the view was phenominal!! On the plus side, although before the war Winchester was a rather dull and stilted town, during it there were lots oof dances organised for the locals and army which were encamped nearby. These were held in the Audrey Tea Rooms above WHSmiths in the High Street. At one of these dances she met her husband, who was from Scotland, whom she was married to until his death in 1989.

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