Terry Harper

Father did a lot of private work, keeping the plans of the Free Miners’ collieries up to date, so that was probably where the money came from for our yearly break.

Bournemouth 1945 was the scene of a big event. It was to be where I had my first kiss. I was only 12! The recipient was a lovely girl who was staying in the same boarding house. We were both with our families and obviously liked each other from the outset.

We used to get sent by our parents to the News Cinema on wet days. She was rather gorgeous as I recall and looked like the actress Celia Lipton with shoulder-length fair hair. One day we just happened to arrive back at the boarding house before our families and that’s when it happened - we kissed on the landing! Her name was Nancy Leonard.

I couldn’t wait to go back to Bournemouth the following year, but I never saw Nancy again.