大象传媒

I was 7 when I went away to be evacuated as the War started. We got off the train and a bus took us along and dropped us off to different houses. I was with my Sisters and we were to be seperated, but my older Sister decided she wanted to stay with us.

Eventually we were placed next door to each other. There was a Morrison shelter in the kitchen. We stayed with a Mrs Pearl and her Daughter in Somerset. I hated going to the shelter because It was like a cage and I was always afraid that something might fall on us. I hated the smell of the rubber on the Gas Masks

The lady we stayed with always sheltered under the stairs rather than in the shelter. We were located near an Aerodrome called Western Zoland. We had a lot of bombs falling near us too. Life in Somerset was much quieter than London. We had limited resources with rationing. There was tea, sugar though. We were ok for fruit as we lived in the Countryside.

We returned from evacuation in 1946 and I was now 14. My older Sister was the first to come back as my Mother wanted her to work. I went to Trafalgar for VE Day with my Sister & boyfriend who was back from the Navy. We didn't make it as far as Buckingham Palace on VE Day as it was very busy. There was a fantastic atmosphere at the street party.

My Sister used to send us sweets and parcles while we were away. We used to help out with the Hay-Making in the fields. I was very frightened when War broke out and I didn't want to go away. There wasn't a school where were evacuated to, so we had lessons in a local Church. We had also travelled with some of our teachers.

We would go into a different part of the Church for some Art lessons, a girl had come along to pick up her sister once she had finished school. She stood by the railings just inside the Church as an Army vehicle passed by and it's brakes failed.

It then swerved into the Church railings and she died. We had to go out the back of the Church as we were not allowed to see her.

It took a while to adapt back to normal life in London. There was a lot of damage in London. I had to also get a job. Our Mother was pleased to have us back but our Father was in the Merchant Navy. He eventually returned in 1948. I began to work in a Shoe shop in Crisp street after the War.

It was a strange place to be again as there was a different way of speaking in Somerset and a very different lifestyle.

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