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I remember being evacuated with my school, Stoke Park Girls’ Grammar, to Atherstone. It was a bit traumatic- all of us with luggage labels pinned to our coats and our gas mask in a case. We were taken to a church hall, and all the local people came and looked us over- it was a bit like a cattle market! Of course, all the pretty children were picked first (no- not me!) Actually, those who weren’t chosen got rather a good deal. They went to Merevale Hall under the care of Lord Dugdale- and had a lovely time, I believe.

I ended up with a lady in Atherstone. This was not very satisfactory as the house had only one bedroom, where the whole of the family had to sleep! I was 11, and my mother was not happy, so I moved to the village of Witherley, with another lady. She already had one evacuee, but was very welcoming to me. When the danger from the raids had gone, I returned home, but I used to go back and stay with that lady during the summer holidays, and we kept in touch till she died.

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