大象传媒

I was only seven years old when I was evacuated and can vividly remember my heartbreak and sense of desolation at the separation from my mother. However, my experience as an evacuee was a very good one owing to the kindness of the local people and the fantastic community spirit. The generosity of people was overwhelming: the schools were friendly places and I remember regularly being given a bag of goodies such as fruit and sweets from church every week.
Some of our regular traditions did continue despite the difficulties raised by wartime limitations. I remember one Bonfire Night. Of course, this was not strictly allowed because of the blackout, but some of the local boys showed an ingenuity which was particularly typical of the wartime spirit. We didn't have very many fireworks as they were not being sold that year, but some had been saved up from the previous year. The bigger boys formed a sort of human tent with their arms as we tried to prevent any light showing: even as children we were deeply patriotic and aware of the needs of wartime!! We had a few sparklers and some small fireworks and one of us was posted as a lookout to warn us of the approach of anyone in authority. Despite the paucity of what we had, I remember it very vividly as an evening full of spirit and camaraderie.
In the winter, weather permitting, we were able to enjoy sledging in lovely hilly areas. At Christmas, I was able to go home to London to my Gran's for two or three days. It was a quiet Christmas, with not much in shop windows, no Christmas lights because of the blackout and not many presents, but it was lovely to be home with my family and that was treat enough. I remember an air-raid where we took shelter under the kitchen table. It was shaking and my Gran tried to tell me it was a shaky table, but I later realised that she had been so frightened that she was shaking like a leaf and causing the table to shake too!! The next day,we saw that she had had good reason: the house three doors down had been rased to the ground and the people inside all killed. As Granny said "Old Gerry got that one!"
One of the pleasures still available to a child was reading and I was particularly fond of Enid Blyton, whom I read from cover to cover. However, books were a luxury and I started to write poetry in my head to compensate.
Something I learned to do as a country resident was climb trees and I became a veritable monkey; indeed, I still look at trees speculatively today, planning a climb even if I can no longer manage it!
I was an evacuee until the end of the war when I returned to London in time to celebrate VE and VJ Day with my brother and his friend. I remember the excitement as we watched all the returning Armed Forces celebrating in style from the vantage point of a lovely wide window sill near Piccadilly Circus. The war was over, we had made it and the sense of euphoria and patriotic feeling was so intense that I can still remember it.

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