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This story was submitted to the People's War site by CSV/´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Nottingham on behalf of Eunice Bicknell with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was 10 in 1938 with the threat of war. I went to Pierrepont School when the war broke out. School was closed and most children evacuated but I stayed with my mother. There were a lot of children not evacuated that had no schooling — we thought it was great. Eventually education caught up with the situation and requisitioned homes with room and put in 10 chairs with black board and easel. 10 children in and came out after 1 hour. They gave us homework but no one worried if it wasn’t done because nights were spent in Anderson shelters in the gardens.
One thing I remember was swimming a mile in the Victorian baths, but didn’t get a certificate because of the war. I remember people digging trenches in Victoria Park. We had Gas Masks. I remember hearing the siren on the Works on Carlton Road and it was very loud and it terrified me.
My father was in the building trade and had to go on essential building like railways, but hadn’t got the time to put up the Anderson shelter in the garden — but it did get put in the day before the war was declared. We had to take a bag with important things in like documents and certificates.

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