大象传媒

Contributed by Alma Bravery (nee Wyatt)

I was born in 1935, and so I was a very young girl when the arrangements were being made for the mass evacuation of children from East Ham.My brother Bob was older than me and he was to be going away with his school, Monega Road, in Forest Gate, but still East Ham. My mother told me how I kicked up such a fuss, that it was decided that I would have to go too! My first memory of this is not the journey to Norwich but the Sunday before, when as a family we all attended our local church, St Edmund's in Katherine Road. Father Cordell our Vicar in his sermon talked about getting ready, and supposed that some of us had new clothes, quick as a flash and much to my brothers horror, I jumped up on to my chair, and told everyone that I had some new knickers and six new hankies, no tissues in those days! The only recollection I have of the Norwich time was the fact that the house was very confusing to me, as the stairs to the bedrooms went up from a door in the sitting room, that made three doors in that room, the kitchen, a cupboard and the stairs, I never did get it right.
We did not stay there long, but came back to Forest Gate,and waited to be sent off again.
We all had gas masks in cardboard boxes that hang around our knecks, my Mum made rexine covers for our boxes and they lasted all the time we had to use them.
As I was too young to be put on the infant register, it was decided that I would be listed with my brother in the big boys class! and so for a few days I sat in the front row of Mr Lees class, top floor in Monega Road School.
Came the big day, and we went to school complete with gas masks, a small suitcase, my teddy bear and a luggage label tied to my coat with my name and address on. Quite a few people were very upset, but I thought it was a big adventure, and I was very happy to be with my Brother. Mum's were asked to leave us at the school and not to accompany us to East Ham Station. I remember the train journey, one boy lost his cap out of the carriage window and he was very upset at that, but help was at hand as a farmworker saw it come off and he rode on his bike to the next station and the boy was reunited with it.
Eventually we arrived at Bethell, which in those days was a small village outside St. Austell, but is now part of the town. We were all taken to the Chapel and had to sit on forms, while adults moved around. Gradually children were chosen and left with the people of the village. My brother Bob and I remained with a couple of older girls, Bob ahd a very protective arm about me, and kept on declaring that we would not be parted, by this time I was very pleased to have him so close. We were eventually accepted by a Mrs Sweet, and went home with her. We met her husband and their two sons, John and Kenneth, and then went to bed. Bob and I stayed there for some time and then Bob was moved to another billet in the village.During this time I was joined at Uncle and Auntie Sweet's home by one of the teachers from our school,Miss Potter, I was not too sure about this but living with a teacher was not a bad experience!
I changed billets eventually and was living in a big house, a prewar guest house, Mrs Lane the owner hired Lila to look after me during the day. Lila was a member of the Romany gypsies, who lived locally in their camp. I visited them after school, and remember their caravans, the fires outside, cooking the evening meal, the older ladies making pegs, and the twinkly brass ornaments inside. If I was late for school, I would be picked up by the gypsies as they went off to sell their wares in the morning. Bob passed the eleven plus whilst he was there and moved to Swindon, where the East Ham Boys Grammar School had been relocated.
We did not see much of our parents during the time of evacuation, Mum and Dad did come down so did an Aunt of mine, Mum became ill, so she did come and stay on a local farm for a time.
I came back to home in late 1942, Mum and Dad wanted me home before Mum had another baby and my younger brother was born in March 1943.
The whole experience was not painful to me, I loved the countryside, and Charleston Harbour close by, I never did like walking across the dock on the gang planks, but was happy trying to catch the crabs when the tide was out.
The one thing that I realised in later years that I had missed out in, was cuddles and laughter with my Mum and Dad during my early childhood.

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