大象传媒

Mrs M Rimmer was appointed as a Billeting Officer for the County Borough of Blackpool on 31 August 1939.

According to the "defence regulations" card that proudly displays Mrs Rimmer's name ... "A billeting officer under the Defence Regulations is authorised by law to require the occupier of any premises -

(a)to furnish true informatoin with respect to the accommodation contained in the premises and to the persons living therein, and

(b) to provide accommodation in the premises for all persons whom he may assign to the premises.

Note - any person failing to comply with any such requirements commits and offence."

Among some of the records found relating to this appointment, the following poem was discovered.

It is unsure who wrote it, but it is all about the school in Blackpool and Sacred Heart Church, where the children who were evacuated to Blackpool went to and it is written in Lancashire dialect...

In the year of 1940
They said the children must be sav'd;
We must find an air raid shelter,
Where the bombs they'll boldly brave.
So they searched all over Blackpool,
But no shelter could be seen,
'Cept a cellar in a basement,
In a street named for a Queen.

Each day the children practised,
In a line thye bravely fled;
Though they'd really have been safer
If they'd stood beneath the shed.
For with knees and elbows bleeding,
They were jammed up to the wall,
Every time the siren summoned,
They went to this noble hall.

Evacuees in Blackpool
Were put upon the Roll,
And every wartime teacher,
Was driven up the wall.
For they'd books and pens and pencils,
Yes, they had the children too;
But they had no rooms to put them in,
Whatever could they do?

Then a bright-eyed Beautocrat
Was filled with thought supreme.
"Why don't they use that building
In the street named for a Queen?
They have put the children in there
Every time the sirens wail;
Why not use the place for classrooms?
This idea cannot fail!"

Authority was delighted;
"By Jove" my lad", they said,
"For this you will be knighted,
A crown will reach your head.
Get those children in there quickly,
Put the teachers in there too,
They'll be handy for the shelter,
And they'll have a good sea view."
And so officially came to pass
Without high word or deed,
The opening up of Queen Street,
As a school - because of need.

The teachers got their postings,
And quickly packed their traps.
"Tis just a temporary measure,
We'll be back next year - perhaps,"
But when officials saw it,
And the ease with which ir ran,
They soon went to the Office
And drew up another plan.

"These teachers get it easy",
Said they unto each other.
"Write a letter", said their leader,
"And send it off to Mother"
"Tell her that from this morning,
Another scheme we're signing.
The children won't go home no more,
At school, they'll do their dining."

"We'll give you cup and saucer,
And knife and fork and spoon,
We'll even send a woman
Who'll keep the place in tune
Her name is Miss Colletta
She'll arm herself with ladle
And if you talk instead of eat,
She'll crash i on the table.

And so the house in Queen St.,
Developed through the war;
And every year the classes
Grew more and more and more.
And mother told the Office,
Managers, Ministry too,
"I feel like the famous mother
Who lived within a shoe".

"The numbers are increasing
From what thye were at first.
If you don't get us out right quick
The walls will surely burst".
Now after long discussion
A plan they have brought forth
"We'll build a new school for you
in the regions of the north".

And everyone is happy
That no more they'll need to trail
Down the yard and through the alley
ina howling bitter gale.
Lift no more their weary footsteps
As they trudge up every stair
To a tiny room in Queen Street
LIke a lion to his lair.

Bit in spite of all this gladness
There's a feeling of despair
And it's with a little sadness
That we all are leaving there.

For it's been a trusted servant
That has served us from the start
We are leaving all the old ties
We're leaving Sacred Heart.

And when we have departed
From this life here below
Don't worry for the future
I'll tell you where you'll go
The Lord will see you coming
And he'll say to good St Pete
"Open wide the gate for this one
She has come from down Queen Street.
Let her sit in peace in Heaven
She has suffered down below
She has travelled to the Annexe
Through rain and hail and snow.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.