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Barbara’s Wartime Memories — St Agnes, Cornwall

Barbara Kent’s story recorded by Keith Atkinson

At the outbreak of the War I was nine years old and living at Garden Cottage, Goonbell St Agnes, Cornwall, my Dad was a Miner , one of the last in St Agnes, he was employees at Wheal Kitty mine until it closed in 1930, and helped to dismantle it, one of the big stamps is now at Wheal Martyn Mine at St Austell.
On the first day of the war I was doing my Sunday paper round, Dad was helping me as the papers were very heavy and loaded onto the handle bars of my bike, the round started at Mrs Pascoe’s next door the café which today is called Goldies. At the end of the round we went to the paper shop and sorted out the paper money as then most people paid on delivery, if we were short of money then it came out of my wages, I only did the round on Sundays and got paid four shillings.
Dad was too old to work in the army, and had to go to work at Geevor Mine near Lands End, this was a long way from home, so he was only able to come home every other weekend on a motor bike which he had fixed up, petrol was rationed so that was all his ration used up.
I remember the evacuees arriving in St Agnes, I was on the school railings in British Road waiting for the children to be allocated to the foster parents. The children were from Edmunton, West Ham, East Ham, they were sad and tired after their long journey, they carried their gas masks, sometimes holding onto an elder sister or brother. A lot seem ed very poor and were dressed in their Sunday best, but it had been a long journey especially as some were poorly.
Mother took two boys, one was called Dick Feddon, I can’t remember the other, we were in contact with him until fairly recently. We went to school half-time as there were so many children now in the village. Teachers came with the evacuees, they were called Mr Evans and Mr Penny, they were lovely men, which brought inspiration into the class room.
There was a searchlight battery near our house at Ropewalk Farm, the men lived there in two big tents, they were presumably there because of the Aerodrome at Perranporth. We were told of the airfield but were not allowed look at it from the bus or over the hedge and were not allowed to stop near it.
Out at Cameron Estate on St Agnes Head there was a big camp of British troops, we went out there with Mum and Dad to shows held in the garrison theatre. Mr O’Connor who was a sergeant used to get us tickets, he was living in a cottage alongside Treleigh Farm both of which were owned by Austin Tresize. He lived there with his wife and two children a girl called Sadie , and a boy called Pat, they still live in Cornwall. We really enjoyed the Ensa concerts which were touring shows and pantomimes, this was always a great treat, perhaps we only went to six shows, afterward we had a four mile walk home.
Mum was a very good cook, we did not suffer much from food rationing as we had chickens their eggs and vegetables from the garden. The only things we got on ration coupons was fat, tea and beef we were only allowed One Shilling and Nine-pence worth of beef a week.
I remember an incendiary bomb dropping at the entrance to the surgery we had to pay sixpence towards the Red Cross to look in the hole.
My Sister who was sixteen at the beginning of the war had a boyfriend called Billy Fiddock, he was killed in 1941/42, she was very upset, but really as kids we didn’t take much notice it was happening to everybody.
Sweet rationing was more important and what we could get with our coupons. Clothes were limited, jumbles sales and hand me downs kept us clothed, Mother couldn’t sew but both me and my big sister did some sewing. Grandfather lived in Truro was a Tailor in Cathedral Lane, but he had died before the war.
The Americans arrived in 1943, they had a big camp opposite the railway station, there were rows and rows of tents in the field opposite, as kids we got given candy and gum, and they gave us Christmas parties. There were weekly dances in the Masonic Hall in Rosemundy, all the girls got in free, but at 14 years of age we had to leave at 10pm, Dad collected us, and we missed the fun!!
There was a cinema, which we went to twice a week, as there was so many troops there were two shows per night, at 6.30 and 8.30pm. it cost nine pence to go in, and always had to queue for over an hour before we got in. we used to watch Pathe News it was the only way to see the news as we only the had wireless at home, we walked home four of us together it was about a mile and a half , I was always with my best friend Vera Allen.
In Coronation walk there was a galvanised tin building which we went to to for film shows and darts, there was also whist drives and sing song evenings.
We were allowed to go onto the beach at Trevaunance Cove, the entrance was barred off with barbed wire but there was a narrow pathway between, we went swimming there and there were wooden beach huts.
Perranporth beach was completely blocked off with three rows of barbed wire, supported by big steel cross posts fixed into the beach. Soldiers from Penhale Camp used to come over to Perranporth for recreation, but when returning in the dark across the sand dunes several were killed by the land mines. We used to get to Perranporth by train, we also used to see a lot of troop trains.
As kids the war was fun, we didn’t go short, Mum had a soldiers wife as a lodger with their two children, her husband was at St Agnes Head camp. Our cottage had four bedrooms, which housed Mum, us two girls, The soldiers wife and their two children, Mum got paid for the evacuees, but they were not with us long, their mothers wanted them back.
We used to play down a lane near our house, there was a big tree there this was my castle, my hospital, boat, school, I used my imagination a lot there, I used to go and eat my party there, and spend hours and hours there.
Oil for the lamps was delivered every week. Harry Thomas the accumulator man also came around weekly and delivered a recharged accumulator and took away the old one, this was saved for the news on the wireless, we all had to be quiet so we all listened to it together, this was a daily ritual.
I went to school at Perranporth, this was the Oxford and Elson Shool which had moved down from Walthamstow, Mrs Prescott was the head teacher, it cost five shillings a week to go there. They taught French, English , Mathematics, Algebra, Geometry, it was not in one building but spread over a lot of buildings in Perranporth. They were the Women’s Institute. Hall, British Legion, Men’s Institute, Edwards the greengrocers and commercial lessons and drama were held in the building which is now a old folks home. The Sunray Hotel housed the evacuees, which had come down with the school, this was an upmarket school almost like a finishing school, some were of asian descent, there was a reunion in 1998 and I met Maria Staphire who was in the same class..
As well as the school in British Road, there were also private schools at Rosemundy, and Chapel Porth.

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