大象传媒

On Friday the first of September, 1939, children were being evacuated from London, as war was inevitable. My brother, sister and I had to meet at my school in Spital Square with all of the other children who were being evacuated. After our names were checked, we were lined up in double file and walked to the station, which was not very far away. We were all dressed up, carrying our luggage in suitcases or bags with named labels pinned to our coats and gasmasks draped over our shoulders.

When we got to the station there were other children from different schools who were also being evacuated. We were not all going to the same place. Eventually we boarded a train and set off; - for who knows where? Mums and Dads and other members of families were there to see us off and it was a sad scene with lots of them crying and wondering if we would see one another again.

We only travelled for about two hours and ended up at Ely station. We got off the train and were taken to a room where we were going to be billeted out. Being three together we were the last ones to be picked., but in the end it turned out alright as the people had two boys and a girl of their own. So there were six children altogether. The actual dwelling turned out to be a Men鈥檚 club, with a snooker table, cards etc.

On Sunday the third of September WAR was declared at 11 o鈥檆lock and not long after the wailing siren sounded for an air raid; - but nothing happened.

After a month of going to Ely High School, part time, I had word that my Grandmother had died. She was about seventy years old. . Seeing that I lived with her, I went back to London to attend the funeral.

A month or so before Christmas, we all moved , with the foster parents, from the Club to a flat over a grocer鈥檚 shop in the main street. There wasn鈥檛 any television in those days so we did knitting in the evenings; my sister used to bring wool home from school and we knitted mittens for the soldiers.

There wasn鈥檛 any bombing while we were at Ely. It was a very cold winter, so much so that the river froze over and we all went skating. I was not very good, I couldn鈥檛 stand the cold. I got friendly with a girl whose parents owned a caf茅. One Sunday we cycled to Cambridge. It took me all of my time as I hadn鈥檛 ridden a bike very much. When we got back, my friend made egg and chips for us in the caf茅, which we both enjoyed. Another time the foster parent took us by car to an orchard, the first one that I have seen. We had a lovely time, picking apples and tasting the different varieties. On Sunday mornings the foster husband used to cook a fried breakfast. Food was not scarce at that time, rationing had not started as far as I can remember. Money was scarce with us children, the baker鈥檚 shop has lovely cakes in the window, but that was where they stayed as far as we were concerned.

There was a corn exchange at Ely but it was closed during the war. There was a beautiful cathedral there. We lived in the High street adjacent to the Cathedral.

While at Ely, my Mum and Dad, Aunt and Uncle came to visit us. By then we were living over the grocers. We spent most of the time chatting but managed to take some photos out in the street.

I have not been back to Ely since the War and prefer to remember it how it was.

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