“Betty’s War” was inspired by the 1938 diary of 14 year old Betty Lavender. In it she tells of her worries about the prospect of war and is relieved when Neville Chamberlain returns from Germany with news of peace. A year later the Second World War started. Pupils from Hull were asked to interview members of their local community to find out what happened during the war years. These stories were all combined to make a play that was performed at Hull Truck Theatre on Remembrance Day, 2005. The play was commissioned to commemorate the 60^th anniversary of VE day. The children also wrote fictional diaries for Betty and her brother Sam, telling the same story from two different points of view. It is this work that was used to publish the books ‘Betty’s War’ and ‘Sam’s War’.

The story starts in 1938, showing the family’s reaction to the outbreak of war, and it is not long before Sam is evacuated to the country. Although he is not happy in his new home , he doesn’t mention what a terrible time he is having in his letters to Betty. Similarly, Betty doesn’t ever tell the real story in her letters to Sam. She tells him tales of her new life training to be a nurse and her nights out dancing with her boyfriend, Johnny, but doesn’t mention how close the bombs are really falling...until one terrible day when the Ellis Terrace shelter takes a direct hit and all of their family are killed. For once, Betty’s letter tells the truth.

Sam comes back to Hull to be with his sister and they build a new life for themselves. Sam returns to school but it isn’t long before another tragedy strikes and a number of his friends are killed when a German bomber opens fire on the children in the school playground. Over the next few years, people had to ‘make do and mend’ but not just their clothes, their lives as well. When Johnny and Betty get married and have a baby girl, things start to look up but sadly Johnny never gets to see his baby daughter as he is killed in action.

The play ends with celebrations for the end of the war. Sam and Betty reflect on what the last eight years have meant for them and discuss their hopes for a new brighter future.