Ellen Blake Destined To Return

33 - Textile factory

Getting things out in the open wasn't quite the end of the concerns for Billy and Marianne. There was a period where the four of them sat awkwardly looking out the window and mulling over their recent conversation.

Ellen wasn't sure how to move on to change the topic, but luckily an ideal diversion came soon when she spotted the distinctive Trent Building on the University Park Campus. It gave the two girls the opportunity to discuss the differences between the University College of 1941 before them and the future University that had grown and sprawled over three hundred acres from Ellen's time.

Marianne had never visited the campus in all her time living locally but had learned facts about it from her mother. One such detail being that the predominant building before them was not only the place where students studied in lectures and seminars but also boarded. It was part of the reason for the College moving out from the city centre. It was a small start to what was to become a campus with 12 halls of residence housing over three hundred students.

On the contrary Ellen had spent a good many hours around the gorgeous lake in front of the Trent Building. She and Aaron had been pushed in buggies, when very young, along the path around the lake and loved the island in its centre. It was home to visitor-friendly grey squirrels who they would gleefully feed. As they grew older the twins learned to ride their bicycles around the many well-maintained paths of the campus. They also spent numerous Sunday mornings on the children's playground. Then older still they would take out rowing boats on lazy summer afternoons and splash about, whilst avoiding the ducks and geese.

Marianne assumed that the primary purpose of a University was for the learning of the academically gifted. She was surprised and slightly envious to hear how much its grounds would offer the general public in the future. The pair discussed further such differences in their childhood experiences whilst the train continued on its way to Beeston station.

~

'Oh look,' said Aaron. 'That's where Dad works.'

Billy leant forwards to see where Aaron was pointing, only to be surprised that the very building they could see out of the south side window was one he knew all too well.

'You Dad works at Gilding's?'

'Yeah in the big building on the right. The Blackmore building.'

They were looking across a couple of fields at the textile company's site. It had a few buildings scattered about. Sitting proudly amongst the others, glowing in the summer sunlight, were two very large buildings. The one on the left was Gilding Textiles Company's headquarters and the one on the right the textile factory.

'It looks so different,' said Aaron, as the train swung round the side of the factory. 'We can see the front of the factory from the back of our house. Across the fields. It is normally white with dark black glass, but this looks strange. It's some sort of pattern. What is that?'

'I can't tell either,' said Billy, now squatting by the window with his nose against the glass. 'It's sort of green and brown ... it's camouflage. They've done that to some of the factories and big buildings in York. It's so the enemy aircraft can't see it if they fly over. Apparently they're prime targets for the Germans, because most of the factories are being used to make things for the war, especially those like Gilding's. I bet they're making parachutes and terrific stuff like that instead of their usual products.'

'Wow! I never knew they did that,' gulped a surprised Aaron. 'Dad never mentioned any of this and he's been there for nearly twenty years.'

'I can't believe your Dad works there ... in that very factory.'