大象传媒

Being an evacuated child could cause some resentment in the village you were sent to! Here's a tale I'll never forget.

I was four when I was evacuated from our home at 34 Coombe Road, Sydenham, London to Ely, Cardiff. Unusually, our mother came with us -- so it was her and my two younger brothers (one of them a baby). Dad had failed his medical to join the RAF, but worked instead at Farnborough, testing radar and radios on planes.

We had to learn Welsh at a school near Fagin's Castle. I wasn't too keen at first, to tell you the truth -- and I can't remember a word of it now.

Then one Christmas -- I remember it was a Saturday -- something happened that I shall never forget. Us evacuated children were invited to a party at the Town Hall. I remember a massive tree, touching the ceiling -- and Lady Churchill as guest of honour, in a lacy dress. She was so pretty and kind. We were given presents --a doll for me, and a steam engine for my brother, I think. But the thing was, there were no children there who WEREN'T evacuees. So the next Monday at school, we were both beaten up by the Welsh children, because WE'D been given the presents! Or at least, they knocked us around a bit. I'm sure their attitude was "Go home!" But generally, there wasn't too much of that.

When we did leave, though, we witnessed much kindness. The woman we'd lived with made us Welsh Cakes for the train journey, and soldiers on the train moved their kit bags so that my mother could rest with my baby brother -- he must have been only about six months old.

It was both a happy and a sad time. Life could be good. But I wouldn't put anyone else through it. It must have been simply hell for my mother, being by herself like that. We all stuck together, though. There was real comraderie. We called our neighbours Auntie Vera and Uncle Dick, and her mother, Gran. They weren't our uncle, aunt or gran -- but life was like that in those days. All one big family.

THIS STORY WAS SUBMITTED TO THE SITE BY JOHN YOUNG OF 大象传媒 SOUTH EAST TODAY, ON BEHALF OF JEAN DEAMER. SHE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THE SITE'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

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