大象传媒

These ladies understand the copyright implications of their stories.
Eileen: It was June 2nd 1940 and I was evacuated with my school, Clarendon House, at the age of 12.I remember the date because of Dunkirk so all the stations were very busy with soldiers. We benefited from the cups of tea etc which were really for the soldiers.We went to Stafford and the families chose us, picking us out as they fancied.I was with another girl from my year and we had to share a bed, making a line down the middle. I had about 6 different billets during the next 5 years, until the end of the war. We shared schools and so were some days in one building and other days in another one.I'm sure that a certain amount of cruelty and abuse did go on but other families were very kind.We were moved from one billet, by our Head Mistress, due to the Hostess' ripe language!
By the time we came back I was in the 6th Form and we had to unpack all the old equipmentin the Science labs at school.
Marjorie: It was September 1939 right at the start of the war and because of the dangers of living in London I went earlier at the age of 6. I was an only child, very mollycoddled, and the first time I'd been away from home. We went to Prestatyn in N. Wales, we were given very hard chocolate you could hardly eat and the atmosphere there was hostile. They didn't want us and we didn't want them.My first billet was unhappy but I was moved to another one which was lovely with 5 young men who looked after me. There was a monkey called 'Jilly' who used to sit on the host's shoulder.
I was sent to a Welsh speaking school and we were expected to speak Welsh which we learnt as we went along.During my time there I only saw my Mother once and I was there until the bombing of Coventry when we were sent home. I was collected by relatives and had a joyful reunion with my Mother, but I got muddled up and said 'hello auntie.'

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