大象传媒

My brother and I together with Mum were evacuated from blitzed Bethnal Green East London to Walsall, I cant remember the name of the road but it was in a close off of Walsall Wood Road. We were billeted with Mrs Harvey and her son Malcolm.

I was about 7 years old at the time, we went to school in Walsall and the teacher of my class Mrs Pilbeam, was a short plumpish woman and her son Arthur was also in the class. Nearby was an American Serviceman's camp and the Yanks were very generous to the evacuees giving out to us packets of biscuits, much to the annoyance of the local kids! Arthur was particularly agravated when I decided to eat my biscuits in front of him with gusto and cries of "Yum yum". However the tables were very soon turned on me when Mrs Pilbeam in class one day announced that she was leaving the room for a short while and placed son Arthur in charge saying "Arthur, if anyone talks write their name on the blackboard".

Of course, as soon as her back was turned Arthur rushed to the blackboard and wrote upon it 'June Dipple'. (In fact I had not said a word).

On her return, she took the ruler from her desk and and gave me several hard whacks on the hand. Arthur soon had the smile wiped off his face at playtime when my big brother Albie duffed him up and threatened him with another hiding if he ever grassed on his little sis again.

I wonder if Arthur is still in Walsall.

mrsjuniper

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