大象传媒

In 1939 I was 5 years old.I lived in a terrace house between the gas works,the canal and Trafford Park industrial estate,where my father worked.It was decided that the local primary school would close and the children were to be sent to be evacuees in Cheshire.I was sent to Knutsford ,with my gas mask in a cardboard box attached to me by string.I had a label pinned to my coat with my name on itand my national health number:LFFC 333/3.We learned these by heart.We were met in the village hall by the W.V.S.who wore greenhats with maroon bands.The lady in charge took my case and looked through it ,then she told me to stand behind her.When all the children were allocated I went home with the same lady,a Mrs. Sherburn.The house had a large garden in front in which was a large tree.The house was called"The Walnut".I'd never had much to do with trees and the idea of putting one in a bare stretch of grass seemed odd.
We were let in by a maid called Anna ,who turned out to be Austrian.There were no carpets,just bare old,polished boards and very old but carefully looked after tables and spindle chairs.Through the "french" windows was a lawn with a gate in the hedge and a field across which was a wood where sqirrels lived.No yard with outside lavatory! This turned out to be upstairs in the bathroom.
Anna looked after me whilst Mrs. Sherburn got on with her violin group and so on.When I walked to school it was through piles of fallen leaves,which I had never come across before-I always remembered the smell of them.My only social activity was on Saturday when I was taken to sit for a portrait done by the local doctor.His wife read Grimm's Fairy Tales tome,which I enjoyed.At Christmas Anna taught me to say"Gute Nacht "and aHappy Christmas(also in German)for Mr. and Mrs. Sherburn.I don't remember how it went down!My mother came to see me and seemed very overawed.She brought me a dol-Ruth,dressed by my Grandma and I'm afraid i made rather a fuss when she had to leave.
I noticed that When I had breakfast and at night when Anna put me to bed,she oftn burst into tears.I found out why when she came into the hall one afternoon,wearing her hat and coat and carrying a suitcase.She said a tearful goodbye and I remember thinking"Now it'll be my turn".After I had been given my usual Sunday treat of being allowed tolook at the Chinese pictures in the study,Mrs. Sherburn told me she would help me to pack because my mother was to collect me next day.It must have been the happiest day of my life so far.

The primary school had reopened and that seemed to be all that had happened.My Dad was an Air Raid warden and had a tin hat and a stirrup pump to put out incendiary bombs.He dug a huge hole in the yard and made a shelter.The roof was corrugated iron and inside were 2 bunk beds,rugs and cushions and a paraffin lamp which was smelly,even when it wasn't lit.My mum got two one-piece siren suits made.The alarms soon started.We took a packet of sandwiches made before we went to bed,a thermos of tea and some biscuits.There was a torch and a whistle.When the bombs started to fall,the ground shook.We were a target because of the surroundin munitions factories.Our bomb fell on Yapp's Chinese laundry at the back.Instead of looking at the iron roof I was suddenly looking at the stars!My Mum told me later that I went on my knees and said "Lord,help us we're refugees!"Not Mum's style at all!A warden came and took us to an undamaged shelter where we sat in candlelight with a lot of other people.I remember the curtain over the door was pushed aside,and I saw my Dad's white face.He was so relieved to see us.Later he seemed always to be angry and it ended in him volunteering for the Army .Mum said he ought to stay in his job as an engineer,but he was determined.My Grandparents lived near us and were also bombed out.Our lives changed completely after that.We shared a house .My Dad was away,Mum got her old job back working as a secretary.She never gave up her job again.I was looked after by my Grandma,in the day.My Grandad worked long shifts on the railway and kept us going with vegetables from his allotment.I liked scrambled egg made with powdered egg.I think we children couldn't remember anything else.Nobody ever thought we would lose the war.

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