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I was living in Welling in Kent, and we had a bad time with air raids, doodlebugs, incendiary bombs, and a landmine was dropped by parachute. We saw it coming down, it was extraordinary, so silent. It hit a house about 2 gardens away and the whole thing collapsed. We were in our shelter, which as normal was full of water. We didn’t know what was going to happen. My parents were worried about me and my sister, they wanted me to be safe. I was going to Bexleyheath Junior School at the time.

When I was evacuated, we were taken by train, which we thought was wonderful, a big holiday, because we usually only went by train to go to the seaside. We had our best clothes on. I wanted to look out of the window and wave, and my hat blew off, one my mother had specially made for me. We were so excited. I went to a village called Ashton, Northamptonshire, where they still have conker championships. We were taken to a hall, and I was with my friend and her little brother, we wanted to stay together. We all had to stand and wait while local people came in to choose who they wanted, and the first chosen was a friend of mine who was beautiful and had lovely red curly hair. She went to a beautiful thatched cottage by the river.

Eventually there were only the three of us, not surprising as the little boy wet himself, he was so upset. So in the end they took us to the old Rectory by the church where they already had 2 families and we were put with one woman, she was middle-class and she had a child, who didn’t like us. She used to open my parcels before I could get a chance to open them. Then we started going to school, in a big church, and we had boards balanced on pews as desks.

I don’t remember any bombing around that area, it was quite safe. I was always worried about what was happening at home. Telegrams were quite expensive. My mother visited me twice, the second time I just broke down and admitted to her that I hated where I was and I just wanted to come home. I was surprised at her answer. She said, ‘alright we’re going to pack your suitcase and you’re coming home with me’. That was one of the most wonderful days of my life.

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