Darrin Wedlock shares his mother's heart-warming tales from her childhood in Shankill
Darrin's mother Sandra, who emigrated to New Zealand after growing up in Shankill, told Darrin and his brothers and sisters true stories from her childhood – from the hilarious scrapes she got into to the tragedy of the Belfast Blitz. After her death, Darrin decided that her experiences deserved to be shared.
Sandra and the Flying Elephants of Belfast is an amusing, yet true story, of a young girl living in Northern Ireland during the Second World War, who is given the task of looking after her younger brother Billy by her father before he leaves to fight in northern Europe.
Sandra takes this commission on, but in doing so also has to survive the bombing of Belfast by the Nazis. Not only that, but she also has to survive being strafed, burnt, drowned, and on top of all that, has to deal with her hair turning green!
Sandra and the Flying Elephants of Belfast not only grips you with the tragedy of the Belfast blitz, including the unique account of being strafed by an enemy aircraft, but also uplifts you with very funny happenings and tender moments that will both warm your heart and make you laugh.
“Life was simple and had its routines. But sometimes things happened that provided a once-in-a-lifetime memory. I wanted to share with people what happened in my mother’s life and show what helped shape such a lovely character, because ultimately it’s a story about family, caring, loyalty and goodness,” says Darrin of his inspiration for Sandra and the Flying Elephants of Belfast.
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