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Recorded by Pamela Brown

Parents had been warned that in the event of war being declared schools would be closed and pupils given the option of bein evacuated to a safe area. I was ready to start my third year and my mother gave me no choice — I must continue my education.
So on Saturday 2nd d September 1939 we gathered at Levenshulme High School wearing luggage labels with name and address, gas mask and a small case with change of uniform other clothing etc. There were hundreds of children at Victoria Station. Our green uniforms made sure that there was no chance of us getting into the wrong group!
Lytham St Anns turned out to be our destination. I was billeted with my friend Mollie and made very welcome. After a few days both our mother’s turned up considering this billet would allow us too much freedom and we were re-located!
We ended up next door to each other with two widowed ladies. I can only recall being made comfortable, well cared for (and well chaperoned!). We all came home for the Christmas holidays, some girls did not return to Lytham as there were a few part time lessons at Leverhulme.
At Lytham we shared classroom and playing field facilities with Queen Mary’s High School, working either mornings or afternoons, with homework and tutorials in houses commandeered for the use of our teachers.
It was an adventure for many, for others a long period of home-sickness. We returned home at the end of the second term when our own school re-opened,so we were all re-united after Easter 1940 and school life resumed as normal, except of course for air raid sirens and the blitz.

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