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In September 1939 I was 11 yrs old. It was the end of the school holidays and I was preparing to move from Stourbridge Road Girls’ School to the Senior school which was Watt close.

Around this time children were evacuated from Birmingham schools to the Bromsgrove district. One school which evacuated it’s children was St. Thomas. 95 mothers and 166 children arrived at Bromsgrove railway Station out of 740 expected.

I was an only child and we lived in a new two bedroom house built in 1938. One of those evacuees came to stay with us. Her name was Beryl Downing. She was 10 years old.

I remember I wasn’t too keen on this arrangement. I wasn’t used to sharing. In know I felt a great deal of resentment against this strange person.

Beryl was a small child who wore eye glasses. She was very quiet which was understandable being thrust into this strange environment. Beryl’s two sisters also came to Bromsgrove. Doreen, the eldest, was billeted with an elderly couple in a small cottage by the Spadesbourne Brook in watt close — next to the gas Works.

Audrey went to a detached house in Perryfield Lane where the couple had one son. I think his name was Alan.

When the schools re-opened after the extended summer holidays I went to watt Close — Beryl went to Sidemoor Junior.

At Watt Close the Bromsgrove girls and boys went one week in the mornings and the next in the afternoons. The evacuees alternated with us. This did not last long as the Birmingham children started drifting back home.

Beryl and her sisters only stayed about six months. Then they went home.

One day during this short stay these three youngsters being homesick got together and walked the whole way along the A38 back to Birmingham (about 10 or 12 miles) I think my mother called the Police. We didn’t have a telephone — nor did the Downings.

Poor Mrs Downing had to bring the three back on the bus. I’ve no idea how she found the bus fare. I found out years later that parents were required to pay 6/- per week per child when they were evacuated. This must have been a great hardship. Most of these families were poor.

Beryl and I got in touch by letter many years later but we didn’t correspond for long.

However I am happy to say that in 1989 Beryl came to Bromsgrove College on a course and she called on neighbours in Alcester Rd and traced me. So we were reunited 50 years after we met.

We still meet, have been on holiday abroad together, even to China, and we are great friends.

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