大象传媒

Chapter 4 - Cleveleys, Nr. Blackpool,
Lancashire: Rossell Mount Hotel.

At this point my grandma decided she would have a go, and accompanied us on evacuation to Lancashire. We went up in a coach meant for the elderly, and pregnant and nursing mothers. Our destination was Cleveleys, near Blackpool, and as the journey was long and tiring, it was decided to break it and stay overnight at Fleetwood, then continue on. I can remember looking out of the window of the coach, and seeing Lancashire women walking down the streets in wooden clogs, which click-clacked as they walked, with their shoulders wrapped around with shawls. Our stopping point took place in a Church Hall, I believe, where we had dinner at a very long refrectory table. Then, as soon as dinner was eaten, to my amazement, most of the young women opened their blouses, and started feeding their babies. As I looked down the table at rows on rows of breasts with babies feeding from them, my mouth dropped open, as I had never seen or imagined such a thing in my short life! It made a big impression on me. Brian and I giggled a bit, unable to understand it. But it was a comforting sight nevertheless and made the journey seem more homely; we had a good titter over it, until grandma brought us to order. Brian and I never had time to question anything, and no-one told us the reasons for things. We were never-endingly amazed and interested at the different, often inappropriate, situatons we found ourselves in. No sooner had we become established and settled in one place, than we were moved on to another.

Cleveleys, Lancashire.

When we arrived in Cleveleys we were billeted, with my grandma, in an Hotel on the seafront called "Rossell Mount". And there began my love of the sea and wind, which I heard every night as I went to sleep. To go to school meant fighting the intensely strong winds, which came off the sea, and which you would push with all your strength on the way to school, and let it carry you home, literally. I loved it, it was very bracing. On Saturday afternoons I would play imaginary games among the pebbles on the beach, or go exploring and jumping around with other children on the the now disused fairgrounds. All the men had been called up, so we had the place to ourselves. Most of the seafront was barricaded with barbed wire, and soldiers marched back and forth drilling up and down, we used to march with them. The Army also did target practice, you could go along and pick up the spent cartridge cases, which littered the promenade. We got very blase about this, there were so many of them.. Things seemed fairly normal there while grandma slept with us; but very soon, she got fed up with looking after two lively youngsters and returned home. However, before she went she got us placed into the home of a very nice Lancashire lady called Mrs. Ellender, who had a dog. She had us falling about laughing when she used to croon to her dog in her broad Lancashire accent "Coooom tew is moooothar, then". I think we were very over-stimulated and under-educated children because you had to have your wits about you all the time. Mrs. Ellender was a kindly woman, but all she ever left us for our tea, on a plate piled high, was dry sandwiches with a smidgin of jam to moisten them. As they must have been made for hours (she was always out when we came home from school) they were curling at the edges, and had no margarine on. Even we realised this was not enough food for growing children. At weekends. we were given tripe and onions for our tea (off ration) which we enjoyed. I picked up the Lancashire accent quite well and tried to show off to my mother when she came to fetch us.
After a while, my mum, who was anxious about my brother's future educaton, brought us home so that she could personally tutor Brian, and groom him for his County Exam.

Home to London again

My mother bought Test Cards from Woolworths (examples of previous County Exam questions) and took hours around the table at home teaching, revising and generally coaching, basically, Brian. I joined in, by now I was dying to be educated as school was so boring. I used to have dreams where I was sitting in a good school and being taught properly. But it seemed that what energy she had was to be concentrated on my brother; in those days girls were not thought of as so important educationally as "they will get married and have babies, so whats the good of educating them?".
So, to kill two birds with one stone: to be certain I was away from the bombing, and concentrate herself on Brian's future education, I was told that it would be necessary to send me away on my own. . And so, for the first time in my life, I learned I was to be separated from my brother, and sent to Norfolk.

Continued on another page: Norfolk: Beetley, near Dereham.

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