大象传媒

Early in the war, my parents decided that my mother, my sister and I should be evacuated to Bridport, Dorset. I was five and my sister nearly three. We stayed at a farm run by Aunt Blanche Hansford, who as she had married a Hansford, had not had to change her name. She was a real 鈥渙ld maid鈥� and disapproved of children. She was the sister of my Grandmother Bennett (who had been born in Toller Porcorum).

On one occasion my mother had to go shopping into Bridport, a walk of 3 or 4 miles. She left us in the sitting room, Aunt Fanny locked us in and I wanted to pee, eventually having to do so into the fire. I can still hear the wee hissing as it hit the coals. She came in as I was doing this "terrible thing" she said 鈥測ou nasty dirty little boy鈥�.鈥�

Next time my mother went shopping, she had to brush out the chicken house and we were put in there until she returned 鈥� it felt awful but was probably safer. If it wasn't raining, we could get out of the chicken hatch and play in the pen!

But it wasn鈥檛 all bad, I remember going out ferreting with Uncle, catching hundreds of rabbits which were collected next day by a huge furniture van for transport to the London markets. We also had a great time in the hilly pastures around and were fascinated by the cows and the milking.

My father, a farmer near London, came occasionally. I think by car as I imagine petrol rationing had not become quite so strict as later in the war.

Michael Hall

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