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This story was submitted to the People's War site by Louise Angell of the CSV Action Desk at 大象传媒 Radio Derby on behalf of Ida Dean. The author understands the sites terms and conditions.

During the war my brothers, sisters and myself were evacuated from Derby to Stanley Common to stay with a couple we called Uncle Bob and Auntie Elsie.

It must have been from the Christmas Party from school we went to (I can remember a lot of children) that I had fruit salad for the first time. It was delicious. I think I either won or was given a word game. I was quite excited with hat and played with it for ages. My sister Ena, won a big teddy for reciting a poem.

Christmas Day 1939 came at last and one of the presents I remember having was a cup and saucer filled with chocolates, topped with a ribbon.

1940 was upon us, the snows came with a vengeance. The snow drifted up the side of the houses. Uncle Bob who worked at Mapperley Colliery in the daytime, surprised us by telling us to put our wellingtons on. They had brought us brand new wellingtons. I could not believe it - new wellingtons! back home having to buy 10 pairs of shoes was expensive enough. Money didn't run to wellingtons. We were over the moon; we could play in the snow and one of our neighbours from Derby, a very dear friend of our mum, had knitted 3 beautiful pairs of red gloves and sent them on to us. She was a well known opera singer in Derby, a Mrs Florence Bates.

The snow lasted. It was white, crisp and even, not like the snow in Derby, slushy after everyone had trampled to and fro from work. In a field at the back of what was called the brickyard there was a pond and it was so cold it iced over that year - so much so we kids could skate, slide or play on itunder the watchful eyes of the parents. Desmond and Leslie, two of my brothers, lived down there so we went to play with them on the pond. It was great.

During that January we had received news that we had yet another baby brother. Ralph was born on the same day that our little brother Mickey (who had died from complications arising from measles), would have been six so mum had mixed feelings about all that, but Lionel, the toddler at home had a new playmate now. My eldest brother, Bunty (Joe) had already returned to his previous school, Central, Darley Abbey, to further his studies as the school at Stanley Common was not academic enough for him. Dorothea was also asked if she would like to attend Scargill school in West Hallam as she too needed a higher standard of education at the time and she loved it there.

Three more of my brothers followed on to Central, after Bunty - Derek, Lionel and Ralph, but after the war, and all four went to work at the International Combustion at the same time as my sister Dorothea and my dad worked there also.

Anniversary Sunday in ,I think, May 1940, was a big day in the village for the chapels. It was a time the children had new clothes. I remember Dorothea, having a beautiful lemon dress made at the dressmakers and Ena and I had the rare treat of going to Ilkeston on the bus with Auntie Elsie for our dresses. Although she was staid, in a nice way, she chose two beautiful matching turquoise-blue dresses with little rose pink rosebuds embroidered down the front, puff sleeves, in a lovely silken material. We also had black patent shoes, which socks and matching hair ribbons fitted on the hair like a chocolate box ribbon, which suited her dark hair.

We felt like two princesses when we dressed for Anniversary Sunday. What more could we have asked for? All the children had been given poems to recite. We had to repeat them every night at home so that we learnt them by heart. The day came and I, on the raised platform, in all my finery, just happenned to be called first. I stood up, looked at all the people looking back at me, started my lines and then froze. I'd forgotten the words. I just burst out laughing as I saw all these faces in front of me. I was so ashamed. Auntie gave me a good telling off after. I thought she was going to take the dress back!

Dorothea began to get homesick and eventually asked mum if she could come home. Mum said if Dot came then she wanted ena and me at home as well. I think we'd been in Stanley common about a year altogether. Desmond and Leslie came home later on, so we were beginning to be a family once more.

The school allowed Derek to come on certain days, like washdays, as he nearly overbalanced in the copper one day, giving Mrs.Mellor a fright. he was allowed to sit and crayon. he was very good and Ena and I had to look after him and he was the last of all of us to leave.

I remember dad and mum coming in a car, someone having given them a lift, calling at the school to fetch me away for a few hours. I cannot remember when or where my other brothers and sisters were, but I think it was maybe the time dad had come home after escaping from Dunkirk, but before going back to the war to be taken prisoner by the Japs.

We never did get the chance to say thankyou to everyone who looked after all of us all those years ago. Sadly Bunty (Joe) and Leslie are no longer with us and Lionel is in Australia.

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