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I was 10 years old when the war first began. We were evacuated to Old Town Eastbourne on the 1st of September 1939. We went to St Elizabeth’s Church, Victoria Drive Church on the 3rd of September and heard War had been declared - it was then a fairly new church. I was evacuated with my sister who was 1yr and10 months older than me when we arrived at Eastbourne. We were marched along the road with a Haversack on our backs with iron supplement rations and several other soaps etc. We were dressed in Green Hats and Coats; apparently that is how we were taken in the lady told us after. We were staying with a very sweet lady who had four paying lodgers - but they felt we were being given preferential treatment (as evacuees) so we had to be moved to another billet where the man of the house was a milkman and had broken his leg in several places.

Times were so hard we had to go to the soup kitchen for occasional meals, and then were re-billeted to another family where there were three daughters.

Eventually, Eastbourne became a Danger Area so our school relocated to Wales, but my sister and I were relocated to St Newlyn, East Cornwall. Privately, after about a year we returned home as my sister (being older) was made a ‘drudge’ (worker) in Cornwall, looking after all their sick relatives. There were no washing machines in those days - a copper had to be heated — and she was kept from school to help tend to the sick. Mother arrived one day although it was a very long distance to come on an overnight train from Paddington there were not any high speed trains then.

When she arrived in Cornwall, my sister was home from school helping with the washing so that made up my Mothers mind to bring us home. I must have been twelve then we were home for a while and my sister won a Trade Scholarship and we then went to High Wycombe for a spell. My father then bought a Cottage in Arundel, Sussex. When the ‘Buzz Bombs’ came, we had to go out in the evening to the brick built shelter in the street.

My Brother was born on the same day as the Duchess of Norfolk 9.02.45 and she was in desperate need of a boy to carry the Dukedom. I took a Job in the local Haberdashery Shop in Arundel and got 12 Shillings Sixpence weekly. With regards to clothing during the war years, Silk Stockings were given on a waiting list as they came in on a limited supply. At one time, older girls who knew Americans where able to get stockings from them - in my innocence I think they might have given other favours! At one time you could send a Postal Order to Valetta Malta for silk stockings.

I did have a boyfriend — we used to go to the Cinema and Dances in the Ballroom at Arundel Castle, although I was not much of a Dancer then. I suppose all these experiences have not done us any harm as we have turned out to be outstanding citizens for the concern of other people’s welfare and wellbeing. With regards to foods during the war, margarine was for the children, jam and butter was for Dad only, and Chicken was a luxury!

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