大象传媒

I was one of the luckiest evacuees. For varying periods during 1939-45 I was sent to my cousins鈥檉ather鈥檚 relatives in Barnstaple, where my maternal cousin Edna was also sent. We were very lucky, good food, good school, firm teachers whom we respected and kind relatives. We grew to be like sisters. On some occasions I returned to my home in Brixton as I was missing my parents and had to go to Hazlerigg School near Clapham Common. This Prep.School I had been to before I left for Barnstaple. The method of teaching was such in those days that wherever I went I was able to pick up where I had last been forced to finish, and return to Barnstaple, because of the bombing in and around Brixton. I was not a brilliant scholar, but tried very hard. There were so many breaks in my schooling, but I luckily had good teachers and good parents who cared about my education. These early learning days really paid off.

During these times in Barnstaple we saw a lot. On the beaches, divided by barbed wire on one side we played, and on the other Italian POWs exercised and played an accordion. We went surfing at Instow and hid our boards in the dunes.

In the town, we met GIs in Ice Cream Parlours and outside the Cinema. We asked them to get us into the cinema, which they often did. The favourite saying was 鈥済ot any gum chum鈥�. Where we picked this up from I do not know. I think our relatives found out about these things as we were grounded and told off.

There are so many memories I could recount of WW2, but the most vivid is of being sent by train to Scarboroug, from Clapham Junction around Spring 1944. During the registration period for my departure I made the acquaintance of another girl of roughly the same age (7/8) 鈥� Maureen. In due time, we were all on the train being 鈥渆vacuated鈥� from London鈥檚 many dangers with labels on our lapels, gasmasks and lunchboxes for the journey. What lie in store for us we had no way of knowing? Our mothers had decided that this was the best thing they could do for us and we had to trust them, although, throughout there were tears and fears.

The journey was extremely noisy, crowded and quite cramped. On arrival we were taken into Scarborough鈥檚 suburb to a Roman Catholic School. My memory of this building is that it was extremely modern for it鈥檚 day. We all had to sit on long benches and were given a meal. Most of which consisted of salad, which I did not like. After the meal ladies came and looked at us and chose a child/children. An elderly lady came to pick out Maureen, but neither of us would go without the other, so eventually she said she would take both of us. I was very naughty and said; 鈥淚鈥檓 not going with you you old witch鈥�. Obviously, I was persuaded.

It turned out that we were not going to stay with this lady. Her next door neighbour, Marjorie had seen Maureen as we were being led to the School. For some reason she could not get to the School to pick her out herself. Well, she got the two of us. One extremely blonde, Maureen, and me with jet black hair. We also both had 鈥渢he basin cut with a fringe鈥�. We settled in of sorts and were made very welcome.

Firstly, I was sent to a very local C of E School and Maureen to a Convent School. Presumably on the instructions of our parents. Maureen settled well. I did not. I did not like the discipline. I was rapped on the knuckles if I made a mistake or did something wrong. I soon decided that this was not for me and with some of the other children we played truant. We used to go to the railway line and play in the tunnel. In those days we had steam trains. This could only have been for a short while, because I was found out as I was hiding in a crevice in the tunnel when a train came through. This was very frightening and I could not breathe properly at the time. This I could have dealt with, but when I came out I was covered in soot and had to go home like it. Truancy discovered!

This episode resulted in my leaving that School and being sent with Maureen to the Convent School. The thing most remembered about this was that we had some way to walk and through a long pathway and the scents of the hedgerows still remind me of this time even now. They have been a lifelong pleasure when they occur. Needless to say the Convent did not work out either, I was so frightened by the Nuns that I kept either wanting to go to the toilet or, if refused wetting myself. I think the school holidays must have arrived, as I do not remember being at the Convent for long or having to return to school.

We were very very lucky to be living with 鈥淢arjorie鈥�, who was kind and loving, even if I did not appreciate everything she did for me, being very strong willed and defiant. The neighbour who had been sent to pick up Maureen, if she could, was also very kind and I became very fond of her. She was the one I always ran to if I was in trouble. Marjorie鈥檚 husband was in the Royal Navy but we never met him. My fondest memories were of having fresh vegetables from the garden, especially peas 鈥� the like I have never had since. Sundays, just playing, and then in the evening being allowed to try and play the harmonium. Long hot sunny days on the beach at a bay with donkeys, needless to say I became very sunburned. Buying orange writing paper to write letters to my mother (usually to go home or for her to send something). Coming out of the village shop and bumping into a shiny chrome vending machine and apologising to it, with hilarious shrieks from us both when I realised what I had done.

During this Summer Marjorie had a letter from her husband. We were told that a friend of his, whom he had got to know well from being in the NAFFI at times, was coming to stay with us. This person was a long way from home and serving in the Airforce. We accepted this and looked forward to having someone else to be with.

On arrival the young man was quite different from what we had expected. I don鈥檛 even know whether Marjorie was expecting him to be this different! Subsequently, I learnt from my mother that he came from Trinidad, was at Cambridge before the War and then joined and served in the Airforce. He was coal black. We loved him! He used to play with us, go to the lovely bay with the donkeys, take us to the amusements in Scarborough. Not having seen a black person before we used to ask all sorts of odd questions. One of which was 鈥渄o you live in a tree鈥� to the embarrassment of Marjorie. I believe he told us about the bananas growing in his country 鈥� we鈥檇 never seen any. There were lots of things that I cannot remember now, to my shame, including the young man鈥檚 name, but I do remember having lots of fun and wondering why everyone was looking at us when we were out walking in Scarborough. Thinking back it was quite a sight in those days, a young black man, a young blonde woman with one blonde and one jet haired child, the two latter of which were bronzed by the sun. A most unusual sight in those days.

When I was older my mother told me that the young man had written to my parents and asked if they could come for a holiday in Trinidad. Of course, that was out of the question, my parents did not have the money or the time, unfortunately. I was not told of this until I was over 20.
Not too long after I was collected by my mother and returned to London.

I remember VE night and the street parties. Plato Road had a party with a bonfire, which we danced around. I fell over and scraped my left knee badly and my father had to carry me from Brixton to Kings College Hospital to be treated 鈥� no buses at that time. I still have a very bad scar.

For some reason, I was returned to Barnstaple for a short time where VJ night was being celebrated. I wanted a gypsy costume but my cousin got that. I was given a Japanese girl鈥檚 outfit with a flower in my hair to go to the party. Not tactful, but I did look the part with the short, dark hair and fringe.

We all lost touch in the aftermath of the War trying to get our lives back on track. I only returned to Scarborough about five years ago, after attending a young cousin鈥檚 wedding. I thought as I was so near I would pay a visit. As I drove into the suburbs I felt I knew them slightly. When I went to the sea front I remembered it well and lots of memories came flooding back. I really regret not having kept in touch with Marjorie, her neighbour and Maureen and often wonder what happened to them. Along with all other evacuees, we just had to get on with our lives after the War.

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