大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by Anna Jones of the 大象传媒 on behalf of Caroline Williams and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions"

It was on a Sunday, February 1940 and I was 20 years old. The weather was dreadful, it was one of the worst winters. Birds froze on the telephone lines and the lines were down because of the ice. I was travelling from my home in Newport where I'd spent the weekend with my family. I was going to Wickwar where I worked as a primary school teacher. There were a lot of evacuees in that area from Birmingham - from the area where they made the chocolate - I think it was Bournville.
Anyway I picked up the train from Newport and because the Severn Tunnel was closed for repair work, I had to come on another train which took another route but went through Wickwar to Bristol without stopping. It's not a long way to Wickwar and I was surprised on this occasion that it stopped outside the station probably because of signal failure or something like that.
I remember starting to say "This is my station, if only I could get off here - otherwise I'll have to go all the way to Bristol and come back again. "Why can't you get off here?" I remember someone shouting. "Come on!" The train was full of troops and, before I knew it, the train door was open and I was being lifted down onto the track. I waved to them as the train left. I got to the exit of Wickwar station -it was very icy and it was a very steep slope - worse than a skating rink. So I decided to take off my shoes - needs must when the devil drives. I was alright with stockinged feet and walked to the road. Then I put on my shoes and walked uphill towards my lodgings. My landlady was none too pleased to see me - I was too early!

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