Antiques Roadshow was back on our screens on Sunday night with a special episode that saw Fiona Bruce take a trip back in time to World War Two. The renowned BBC daytime show took a pause from appraising unique and extraordinary items to transport viewers back to the era of the Second World War. Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire became the primary hub for Allied code-breaking during the war, employing mostly women for this crucial task.
For the BBC special, Fiona had the privilege of interviewing former Bletchley Park code-breaker, 100-year-old Hazel Halter, who shared her experiences from that period. Despite the serious nature of their day jobs, they managed to find time for some fun as well. “So paint a picture for me of what life was like here at Bletchley Park”, Fiona started. “You’ve got all the different huts here, what was the atmosphere like?” Hazel elaborated: “On the whole, there was six of us who kept to ourselves, we lived together. We’d see other ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) girls maybe, RAF girls, but we never mixed with them.”
“You just kept yourselves to yourselves”, Fiona added, to which Hazel agreed, before revealing how they used to attend dances with some young American men. “We did meet Americans at one stage because the Americans used to invite us to their dances.”
“Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like the Americans used to invite us to their dances,” Fiona remarked, raising her eyebrows. Hazel went on to explain: “And they’d form two lines and walk down the middle and they’d pick out the one they wanted.”
“What to dance with?” Fiona queried, bursting into laughter upon Hazel’s confirmation. She then added more detail: “Then they’d present us with a corsage and a pair of nylons [tights]. We’d never had nylons before!”
“Not really sure why this matters, but we used to go to these dances. After that, there were other things they wanted which we weren’t prepared to give,” Hazel disclosed, eliciting chuckles from Fiona. With a knowing grin, the host responded: “I get the general idea”, to which Hazel cheekily retorted: “I think you do!”
Antiques Roadshow presenter Fiona Bruce was left chuckling when a centenarian Second World War hero made a cheeky remark. Antiques Roadshow guest 100-year-old Hazel Halter was a codebreaker at Bletchley Park during the Second World War.
“We did meet Americans at one stage because the Americans used to invite us to their dances.” Eyebrows raised, Fiona remarked: “That sounds fun”, while Hazel went on to explain: “And they’d form two lines and walk down the middle and they’d pick out the one they wanted.”
“What to dance with?” Fiona queried, bursting into laughter upon Hazel’s confirmation. She then added more detail: “Then they’d present us with a corsage and a pair of nylons [tights]. We’d never had nylons before!”
“So we used to go to these dances. After that, there were other things they wanted which we weren’t prepared to give,” Hazel disclosed, eliciting chuckles from Fiona. With a knowing grin, the host responded: “I get the general idea”, to which Hazel cheekily retorted: “I think you do!”
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
