By Elliott West
“We heard them exploding in the distance, dived under the pool table and waited for the all-clear.”
Leonard Jewel
Introduction
Everyone loves a heartfelt story and this one dates back to World War Two. Leonard Jewel worked in an aircraft factory during the wars during his amazing encounter that happened during the first bombing raids of London by the German airforce. A story that reinforces the bravery of those who lived through these harrowing times and were lucky enough to tell their dalliances with danger in later life.
A Close Shave
Leonard Jewel was a lover of cue sports and spent many an hour in the Tooting Conservative Club, a club that housed not only forums for local politics but a number of pool and snooker tables too. One of the Conservative Club boys, Jewel was playing in the club when one of the first bombs were dropped on London. Despite the very scary experience, Leonard kept his cool and crouched under a pool table whilst the long raid took place and remained unscathed. An action that was initiated by someone running into the club and shouting that an air raid was just beginning.
This wasn’t the only time that Jewel was caught in the crossfire. In a separate incident, Leonard had to take sanctuary in a friend’s air-raid shelter at the bottom of his garden. A frantic dash ensued after a V2 bomb was dropped on a nearby church and shook the foundations of the Balham community.
In September 2015 at the grand old age of 100, Jewel revisited the Conservative Club in Tooting, a club that is still up and running. Perhaps somewhat frailer but certainly not looking his age, Leonard appeared for the event on a pair of crutches but didn’t let this phase him. A man who swore that his reasons for longevity, were plenty of exercise through various sports and not smoking nor drinking. Despite suffering from a rare bone disease in younger years, it was hard to tell from this sprightly man who not could share his stories with the fascinated audience but could also entertain the crowd with a series of trick shots. A brave soul who not only survived the war but was also one of the first people in Britain to be given penicillin. A humble hero, who described his war experiences at the local gathering, saying:
“You couldn’t do much about it, you just had to hope the bombs wouldn’t hit you,”
