- Contributed by听
- tom_coyne
- People in story:听
- Christopher Coyne (me!), Thomas Coyne (my Granddad), Brian Proctor, Joseph Ritson, John McCrickett, Thomas Todd.
- Location of story:听
- South Shields, Whitehaven.
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A7433840
- Contributed on:听
- 30 November 2005
This is a photograph of me in my school uniform. In 1940 when my Granddad Tom Coyne was even younger than I am now he was evacuated to Whitehaven, Cumberland and lived there for most of World War Two.
Introduction
Below is the story my Grandson Chris has written about the visits he made with me to Whitehaven, Cumbria as I tried to learn more about my time as a childhood evacuee there. I have been able to show Chris where I lived and to see some of the places I remembered from the war years. This is Chris鈥檚 own story in his own words, with only a little help posting it to the 鈥淧eople鈥檚 War鈥 website.
Tom Coyne
My first visit with Granddad
In the summer of 2000 I travelled from South Shields, where I live, to Whitehaven, Cumbria with my Granddad Tom Coyne to see where he had been evacuated in World War Two. Our train was due to arrive at 19.00h, but we were delayed due to a suspect bomb being on the rail track at Workington.
On this visit we stayed at the Chase Hotel. By the time we arrived at the hotel we had missed dinner. We were on the top floor and I remember we had a very heavy case.
The next day we went to look for my Granddad鈥檚 friends from World War Two. But, we didn鈥檛 find any of them. We did go to where Granddad had lived when he was evacuated, a house on Ennerdale Terrace. Anyway, the fair was in town so I enjoyed myself there.
That time, we stayed in Whitehaven for a week. When we left we said goodbye to Brian Proctor of The Chase Hotel. Our journey home to South Shields was very quiet.
A return visit to Whitehaven
The second time I visited Whitehaven with my Granddad was in August 2005. This time we stopped at The Mansion House, Woodhouse where Tom Todd was the host. I loved stopping there as he had a large swimming pool and I loved my breakfasts and dinners.
My Granddad鈥檚 friend, Joseph Ritson and his uncle John McCrickett came to The Mansion House and took us to see some of the sights. We went to 鈥楾he Brows鈥 where my Granddad saw a plane crash when he was a boy.
Jos used to come and see us every day. He told us lots of things about Whitehaven, and especially about the war. He used to drive us to different places and explain it all to my Granddad and me. Among the places we visited were St Bees, Haig Pit Mining Museum and 鈥楾he Rum Story鈥.
A few weeks later my Granddad went back to Whitehaven a third time. His friend Joseph Ritson had managed to contact some of my Granddad鈥檚 friends that he had known in World War Two. I did not go with my Granddad this time, as I was at a horse show doing jumps.
Finding out about when my Granddad lived in Whitehaven
Visiting Whitehaven, seeing the place my Granddad lived at in the war was a pleasant experience for me. I now know a little about what it was like to be an evacuee. If my Granddad goes back, I will most likely be with him. The people were so nice and kind.
Chris Coyne
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