Ellen Blake Destined To Return

53 - Norwich House

Norwich House was like many of the other buildings in the neighbouring area: huge, impressive and intimidating. It was the length of two football pitches and the width of one. It rose four floors and in the centre had a large entrance hall protruding towards the pavement. They walked up the four wide steps, between a pair of Roman pillars, leading to two heavy oak doors, which were gleaming in the sunshine in a rich navy blue gloss.

It was dimly lit, within the foyer, and much cooler than the other side of the doors on the sunny Pall Mall road. A couple of large pot plants and a few chairs tried to make the place look a little less intimidating, but ultimately it was the headquarters for the country's armed forces. Even with a thousand scatter cushions it would not have felt anything less than formal and regimental.

As expected blocking their way was a solitary sentry in the form of a City of London Bobby. Although the policeman gave them a friendly smile and greeting, Ellen's pulse raced as she knew this was where she and Marianne were going to have to put Brook's crazy plan into action. There were now no further opportunities to discuss or refine their next steps.

'Good afternoon,' said the policeman. 'Can I help you?'

'Yes,' said Ellen, nervously. 'My cousin and I have an appointment with an officer in the Wrens.'

'Ah yes,' said the policeman, taking a couple of steps back into a corridor behind him. 'If you'd like to take the left corridor and five desks on your right will be the department for the WRNS. The girl on their reception will deal with you. Can I ask that you gentlemen wait here? Please take a seat. I can ask one of the girls in the office to make you a pot of tea while you wait if you like.'

'No thank you. That won't be necessary,' said Brook, giving the two girls a smile and a wink and then turned to sit down.

The girls walked along the wide corridor listening to both the sound of their heels echoing amongst the wood panelling and the sound of numerous typewriters coming from each of the rooms off the corridor.

Outside of each room was a reception desk for the department it represented and a young woman smartly dressed in the relevant uniform. Each young woman gave the two teenagers a quick smile as they passed. Ellen observed that each department had a shiny brass plaque, on the panelling outside, stating the branch of the armed service they represented. The double doors of each room were wide open through which Ellen studied many more women all in similar attire to the receptionist and either working at old-fashioned typewriters, filing or taking telephone calls.

Just as the policeman had stated, the fifth reception desk on the right had a plaque above it declaring "His Majesty's Women's Royal Naval Service".

'Hello. May I help you?' smiled the young woman, sitting at the desk.

She looked not much older than Ellen but gave off an air of professionalism that Ellen put down to being in uniform, which she silently agreed with Marianne as looking very smart indeed. She even had a brass name plate on her desk advising the visitor that they were now being addressed by Miss Harriet March.

'Yes, hello,' said Ellen. 'My cousin and I have registered to join the Wrens and we have come to attend the training camp. We received a letter from one of your officers who asked us to come for an appointment with him.'

She looked at the clock on the wall and embellished her statement a little further.

'Sorry we're a little late. We should have been here fifteen minutes ago at half past five. However we got a little lost in London.'

'Not to worry,' said Harriet, kindly. 'Can I ask your names?'

This stumped both girls as they didn't want to give their real names. Marianne didn't want to jeopardise her true enlistment to the Wrens and Ellen didn't want there to be any fall out along the timeline.