大象传媒

During the war I was evacuated to Sonning Common in Reading in September 1939. I was only 3 and half so I don't have any clear memories of that time. A few months later during the 'phoney war' we returned to Notting Hill Gate in London, where my father had a barbers shop in Ladbrook Grove.

One day my dad, Benjamin Gold received the following letter from his sister, Annie Kosky, inviting us to move to Norfolk Road in Reading:
-------------------------------------------
38 Norfolk Road
Oxford Road
Reading
Berks
circa early 1940

Dear Lily and Ben,
I know you will surprised to get this letter from Mary's address - to make a long story short, we were so terribly bombed that Kate and Ron and me packed up a few clothes and here we are. Bugger the shop. Life is sweet. How are you getting on? Mary and Morris said you and Ben and the children should come here too. There will be bread for all. Now don't hesitate, pack up a few bags and run. Bugger your home. Life is sweet and think of those children in all that nerve racking noise. Well, please yourself. This is an invitation from Mary and Morris.

Blime, we aint arf bin through it. My shop front is smashed and the ceiling is down and the back door is wrenched off, well here we are, a holiday by hook or crook. Thats me all over.
Cheerio folk
Dont hesitate. come
Love from the Golds, the Levisons & the Koskys (pto)

What Ann wrote in this letter is quite true. Come don't delay
Morris & Mary

p.s Go to Reading Station. Get a Bus in town to Norfolk Road, Reading.

-------------------------------------------

My parents obviously took notice of this invitation for we came to live with my Aunt and Uncle and their two daughters in Norfolk Road in 1940, also staying with them was my Aunt Annie Kosky and her son Ron and another Aunt and Uncle Sam and Kate Levison making twelve altogether in one 3 three bedroomed house. We stayed a few months before moving to another house in Norfolk Road with a Mr and Mrs Smith and once again in the same year we moved to stay with Mr and Mrs Williams in the same Road.

On arriving in Reading my father found a barber shop at 517 Oxford Road. On leaving school my brother Donald and myself followed on in the family business following the death of my mother in l950. We moved to Shaftesbury Road in 1942, and am still there today. I retired early from the barber shop in 1986.

I went to school first at Battle Infants and I believe because of the influx of evacuees temporary schools were set up and we went to Elm Park Hall school, all I can remember from this period was that the teachers name was Mr Foxell.

On moving to Shaftesbury Road I was transferred to Wilson Infants and then again to a temporary school at St George's, where we used the old tin hall which was divided into classrooms by a curtain, one could hear what was going on in two rooms at the same time! Education for the evacuees must have been pretty poor standard. However my mother was an educated women and she taught us a lot at home as a supplement. After the war I went to Wilson junior and by 1947 passed my scholarship to Wilson Central.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.