大象传媒

When the war started in 1939, I was 13 years old and attended St Johns School in South Shields (on the Tyne). It was decided to evacuate all children for safety. Our school was sent to Kendal in the Lake District. As my brother David was only 2 years old, my mother was allowed to be evacuated as well.

The school children went one day and the followng day we got on the train in South Shields station. The train was packed with mothers, babies and toddlers and a few older children. The toilets didn't work and there was no water to drink. It seemed to take for ever, but eventually we arrived at Kendal. Everyone was picked up be cars; we were about the last to leave the station and we taken to a school hall and given tea and buns. We then went by car to various homes who did not want to take us in! I know I felt very upset at their refusal. The last house we went to was in Woolpack Yard, in a sawmill and joinery shop. There was a three story house in the yard and our hearts sank as we were given the very top room in the house, with a double bed and a cot for David. Mrs Gibson was our hostess. She had two daughters Isabel was my age and we became friends, Mary was 11 and a mischiefmaker; we never got on.

The next day, I went to school and met all my friends and found out where they were billeted. Joan and Margaret had been put in the Orphanage and they hated it. My mother got them moved to a better home.

David was ill all the time we were there znd after a lot of thought my mother wnet back home with him, but she moved me from Mrs Gibson to a much better home with my friend Florrie Bryant. We ateyed for early 2 years with Mr and Mrs Bird and their 5 year old doaughter Daphne.

My mother took David home the week before Christams for two reasons; firstly David was ill and secondly because she was worried about by Father who worked shifts on the South Shields Ferry. She was worried about him coming in from work late to a cold house with nio food ready.

After mother left life in Kendal settled down to a cold winter. We had a two mile walk to School and came home for lunch every day. It seemed like we were always walking back and forwards. Wventually we were introduced to Mr and Mrs Hardman. He was a local business man and a keen photographer. He and Mrs Hardman used to call for us at the week end in a hired car and take us around the Lake District and taking our photographs which appeared in the London newspapers and the Manchester Guardian - "Little evacuees enjoyed lakeland scenery". We had a wonderful time as they always took us to big hotels for our lunch and we could pick what we liked from the menu. I remember the car was a Hillman Imp and of course there was very little traffic on the rods, so we saw all the lakeland scenery.

In November 1940 my mother had a baby girl (my sister Janet). I was dying to see her, so when most of the people from my school came home for Christmas I came back with them. We stayed for two weeks and then returned to Knedal; thank goodness we had no air raids during that time. After a while I felt I should return home and start work. I was 15 now and could do shorthand and typing. It was quite a shock being back home because the air raids had started again and I wasn't used to them. I started work in a solicitors office. On the evening of 2 October 1941 at 8.00 pm we were bombed out. David was 4 and Janet just 11 months. We were very lucky to escape without ijury as quite a few people were killed or injured that night.

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