Aye, lass. Bad business. They reckon the four lads who copped it in Laing’s shipyard are all goners. It’s a miracle there aren’t more dead, considering fourteen bombs fell overall, but there’re plenty injured, especially round the Royal. The Ali Baba Sauce factory is practically demolished, according to what I’ve heard, and Wreath Quay Road and Wreath Quay Lane were hit. They were aiming for the shipyards and the bridge, if you ask me.’ Carrie stared at David, who had just walked in from his shift at the colliery. There had been no bombs dropped on Sunderland in the first few months of the war, but since Alec had left, several had fallen, the first one in a field adjoining the Old Rectory in Whitburn, which had demolished a tithe barn and killed some horses. Up to yet, however, there had been no people killed, but a bombing raid at midday had changed all that. ‘This is the beginning, isn’t it?’ ‘Aye, well, we’ve got away light till now.’ They stared at each other for a moment more before Carrie said, ‘I saw the Ali Baba Sauce factory this afternoon, David.
