大象传媒

PEOPLES WAR

In September 1939 my brother aged seven and I aged twelve were evacuated to Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. We started off from New City Road School, Plaistow, E13. with a pillow case of clothes, a label attached to our coat, gas mask, and a stick of barley sugar, in case we were sick.
We set off thinking we were going on holiday, and wondering why our mothers were crying.
After arriving in Chipping Norton, we went into a big hall, and we were allotted out to prospective foster parents, who wanted girls or boys, we were lucky to get some one who wanted both, a couple who never had children.
We were lucky, we had nice people who looked after us very well; until the lady became ill, and we were allocated out again to other people, my brother was put with old people, and I was next door with a single lady, who had a daughter the same age as myself. I was alright bur my brother was鈥檔t, after a time the first couple took my brother back.
I can always remember being hungry, powdered eggs, jacket potatoes, some sausages, 2oz bacon, 2oz cheese, meat sometimes.
School consisted of one big room for all the London evacuees.
Some people were genuine, but others took the children in for the 8 shillings a week, or to help on farms etc.
I did miss my parents a lot, especially when Vera Lynn sang 鈥淕oodnight children everywhere, you mother is thinking of you tonight鈥�, I used to cry my eyes out.
Auntie Evelyn and Uncle Jim as we called them, were quite religious, we sung hymns around the organ they had, every Sunday , but they could be strict sometimes.
The Cotswalds was lovely country, we went sledging in the winter, and bird watching with uncle Jim.
My parents came to visit us, in a coach with other parents. Our teachers were evacuated with us, they were a lot stricter in those days, I remember one, who when angry, her neck used to go red like a turkeys, another used to give me her stockings to darn.
On the whole I suppose it was better than being in London with the bombs dropping. However I came back to the doogle bugs and rockets, but my brother stayed on to the end of the war.
It was not all honey for some mothers with babies from London, some were put out in the morning.
Some country people think Londoners came from slums, perhaps some did in those days, but others had nice houses.
A few times we went on outings to Oxford or Banbury. Our first school dance was wonderful, I had a black lace dress with a big rose on the hip, boys were more polite then, I had a lovely time.
Now at seventy eight I can look back at the good times and bad times of growing up.
Six years of war but people helped each other, one could leave your door open without being robbed, fights were with fists not bottles in your face, NO DRUGS, and you were taught manners, good from evil , respect for the elderly, that鈥檚 what our brave men fought and died for. Makes one think how the world is today, hah no values!

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.