大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Elizabeth Perez of Stockport Libraries on behalf of a lady who wishes to remain anonymous and has been added to the site with her permission. She fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

I had just started at high school, Loreto Convent in Moss Side, when I was evacuated. We had to meet in the playground at 9am, with a rucksack, a change of clothes, toilet articles and a packed lunch and drink. We were bussed to Manchester Piccadilly Station, and got the train to Leek. I had never heard of Leek before and I didn't know anyone at the school, we were all strangers. It took three and a half hours to get to Leek.

We walked from the station to a school in the middle of Leek, which was empty because the pupils had moved to a new school. It had been a boys' school and they wouldn't have nice Catholic girls sharing with boys in those days!! We were put into the hall in the school, and gradually people came and took girls away as directed by the billeting officer.

At tea-time there were eight of us left. We were then fed and put up overnight by the district nurse, who was a very jolly lady. In the morning I was the last one left, I thought no-one wants me. The billeting officer came and told me "I have a nice place for you to go". It was his next-door negihbour's.

I thought she was elderly,but she was probably in her forties. She lived on her own. She had a little dog, a scottie. She showed me the bedroom she had ready for me. She was very kind to me and treated me like a daughter.

We went to school every day. At weekends she took me out. Every Sunday she played tennis with some friends. In Septmeber we went blackberrying. In the evenings we stayed in, listened to the radio and played cards. She was a wonderful cook, she had trained as a domestic science teacher. We visited her frineds and they all welcomed me. It was home from home.

We went back to Manchester once a month for the weekend. I went by bus as it was cheaper. The buses were blacked out, just a tiny light, so you couldn't read.

Nothing happened in Manchester, except they put a barrage balloon in PIccadilly Gardnes, so people drifted back. We all went home for Christmas and then in February we returned to Manchester.

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