David Blagrove: Author, historian and regular WW contributor

摘要

As a boy during World War II, I often spent a day with my grandmother, who lived in the centre of Oxford. In fine weather she would take me for walks and the most significant walk for me was one that took us away from the city, to Hythe Bridge. Here we would turn onto the canal towpath and walk northwards.rnAt that time it was completely deserted, with a brick overflow weir taking surplus canal water into a backwater of the Thames, and the towpath running between canal and river.