PUPA
A family arrives in North London during the blitz in September 1940. England lives under the
threat of invasion by Hitler’s Wehrmacht, whose panzers have arrived on the coast of France
only 20 miles from Dover.
The nine-year-old son suffers from a recurrent dream in which a black creature eats him.
In consequence, he develops a fear of being eaten This is exemplified by a feeling of terror
he gets whenever he sees anyone’s teeth, especially those belonging to the woman next door
To his fascination and horror, she wears metal dentures, and not only that, he is convinced she
is a witch. The only place where he feels safe is the huge Alexandra Palace, a place that brings
him a feeling of refuge from his fears.
Despite this handicap, he manages to befriend the children in his street and they form a gang
called The Bulldogs. He attends a new school and comes up against the bear of a headmaster
who takes an instant dislike to him.
The story describes the conditions that people lived under during that time with the ever present
threat of invasion and the air raids that happened most nights because bombers were trying to destroy the marshalling yards just to the east. Rationing and shortages were the norm and most people were short of money and had to make do with what they had.
Despite all this the children lived happy lives sheltered from the war by their innocence and also
the fact that they could go out into the streets or parks and play their games without threat or the
influence of twenty four hour media intrusion.
only 20 miles from Dover.
The nine-
he gets whenever he sees anyone’s teeth, especially those belonging to the woman next door
To his fascination and horror, she wears metal dentures, and not only that, he is convinced she
is a witch. The only place where he feels safe is the huge Alexandra Palace, a place that brings
him a feeling of refuge from his fears.
Despite this handicap, he manages to befriend the children in his street and they form a gang
called The Bulldogs. He attends a new school and comes up against the bear of a headmaster
who takes an instant dislike to him.
The story describes the conditions that people lived under during that time with the ever present
threat of invasion and the air raids that happened most nights because bombers were trying to destroy the marshalling yards just to the east. Rationing and shortages were the norm and most people were short of money and had to make do with what they had.
Despite all this the children lived happy lives sheltered from the war by their innocence and also
the fact that they could go out into the streets or parks and play their games without threat or the
influence of twenty four hour media intrusion.
