"One morning in 1945 my mother came into my bedroom and announced, “der Hitler ist Todt!” Another morning, a few months later, she came in again and told me, “The war is over.” My father insisted on taking me up to Leicester Square on VE night. My mother was against it fearing we might become separated but he felt it was an important experience and he was absolutely right. I have never forgotten it, the crowds, the singing and the people clinging to the tops of lamp posts. Even I could see that many of them were drunk. It was quite scary."
