大象传媒

An evacuee came home!

I lived in Notting Hill during the war and was approximately 13 years old. I was evacuated from Wornington Road School to Nailsea, 9 miles from Bristol, accompanied by two brothers. One was 14 and the other was about 6. After we arrived, we were assembled in a large hall. Due to unforeseen circumstances, about 14 of us were billeted temporarily in a pub, until my brothers were billeted with two
ladies, Misses Mellicks and Hughes, who was a helper. I was billeted with an elderly couple for a few months and then moved to a Mrs. Grantham for about 6 months before going home. Bristol was supposed to have been the first city to be bombed, shedding their spare bombs around us! I can remember hearing the screams of the bombs falling and Mrs. Grantham being absolutely terrified of the bombing.
I didn鈥檛 enjoy staying in the country with this particular lady because she was not particularly fond of us children from London, so I asked my mum if I could come home, which I did. Shortly after arriving home, bombing started in London. I spent a couple of months living in the underground, coming up during the day and returning later to get my place. The bombing was so bad, I was sent away again and the two houses adjacent to mine were bombed and completely destroyed. I stayed until I was 14 and then returned again to London.
I returned to Nailsea in May, 2003 - the first time since the war and went to see where I stayed. We had a drink in the pub where we first stayed. I recognized the building where I lived as a child, but it has been greatly altered with buildings, roads etc. I did not like living in the country and missed living in London.

25th November, 2003

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