"Sowerbutt did a lot of business during that terrible winter of 1947," the retired writer for the East London Pioneer, who still has the notebook from his early 1960s interview with Jimmy Sowerbutt, said. "He said it was hard work traipsing over to the West End on foot through the snow. No trolleys, buses, tubes or trains. The good thing was no stoppers either; they were holed up in the police stations trying to keep warm.
"Quite a few of the la-di-das had spent Christmas in warmer climes where there was plenty to eat and drink - Bahamas, south of France, Corfu. With the forecasts of terrible weather, they stayed on. Many did not get back until Easter.
"Sowerbutt and the lads helped out with storage, like. Very few of the posh houses had proper security, so Sowerbutt stored their valuable somewhere safe for them.
"He had a lot of fun when the better weather came. Some of the paintings and jewellery were returned to their owners for a fee; some were shipped to the States helping our export drive and some were sold on the open market. You'd be surprised how many of the well-heeled would snap up a bargain, no questions asked.
"Redistribution of wealth, Sowerbutt called it."
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Lemon-Surrender-1940-ebook/dp/B008USR7FA
"Quite a few of the la-di-das had spent Christmas in warmer climes where there was plenty to eat and drink - Bahamas, south of France, Corfu. With the forecasts of terrible weather, they stayed on. Many did not get back until Easter.
"Sowerbutt and the lads helped out with storage, like. Very few of the posh houses had proper security, so Sowerbutt stored their valuable somewhere safe for them.
"He had a lot of fun when the better weather came. Some of the paintings and jewellery were returned to their owners for a fee; some were shipped to the States helping our export drive and some were sold on the open market. You'd be surprised how many of the well-heeled would snap up a bargain, no questions asked.
"Redistribution of wealth, Sowerbutt called it."
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Lemon-Surrender-1940-ebook/dp/B008USR7FA
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