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I'm a pupil from Heaton Manor Comprehensive School, Newcastle Upon-Tyne, entering Brenda Rose's story onto the website, and they fully understand the website terms and conditions of use.

Mrs Brenda Rose
Heaton Newcastle
Chillingham Road School

I was evacuated during the Second World War aged 7. Me and my sister, aged 12 went together to Berwick. We had to walk in a line from school in Heaton to the station. I had a sack with spare clothes, a gas mask, a ticket with my name and destination. When we got there me and my sister were billeted together with a couple called Mr and Mrs Smith. They had a daughter who was 20. It was a happy time and I was very well cared for. Mum and Dad used to visit and write. I couldn鈥檛 go to school because it had been taken over by the ministry so I only went part time.

Everything was rationed during the war. There were even coupons for petrol. We were given I egg, 2onzes of cheese, 2onzes of sugar and bread to last us a week. If we wanted fruit and vegetables we had to queue, but the rationing was fair and wasn鈥檛 too bad.

My Dad wasn鈥檛 in forces because he failed the medical and my Mum never worked. I soon came home from Berwick. When the siren sounded people went into the air raid shelters and we used to have a bit of a sing song.

The Apollo cinema on Shields road was hit. In Gosforth the children weren鈥檛 evacuated because it was classed as the country side.

My sister thought the evacuation was terrible but I remember it as happy days. In those days the community was very close and friendships lasted along time. Once you made friends you were friends for life. It was a happy and exciting life that I will never forget.

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