大象传媒

Evacuees tale

I was a pupil at Middle Street Technical School, Walker and I started on 21st August 1939. Having just adjusted to my new situation, war was declared and on the 1st September the school was evacuated to Carlisle, where we had to share on a half-day rota Creighton Central School, Morley St, Denton Holme

We settled in reasonably well but the facilities were very basic, it was an old Victorian built school, no playing fields or gymnasium, set in a crowded manufacturing area and on one side across the street a huge factory, Teasdale and Co Ltd, sweet manufacturers. For sporting activities outside we had to carry equipment from the school to the fields verging the river Caldew, about twenty minutes walk involved.

On arrival in Carlisle the school was taken to dispersal points where we had to wait for hosts to come and make their choice, but small groups were taken by guides, to various houses. There were no written lists of where we would be housed, so parents at home would wait some days before they were informed. My new abode was No 7 Westmorland St. Mrs Wood and her daughter welcomed me, and I settled in quite well and they looked after me with great care. I must say that lodgings varied, some exceptional some dreadful, majority acceptable

Creighton School was situated about five minutes from the house [as stated] and the area surrounding was quite similar to where I lived in Newcastle so I adapted quite quickly, and made many friends from the local boys and girls, joining in the back lane games and many adventures which included swimming in the River Caldew and football etc in the local parks and woods

Our education was badly affected, lack of equipment, half day sessions and changes in staff, made it more difficult. Nothing was wasted, note books cut in half as were pencils, even the ink was diluted with vinegar. Text books had to be shared, so blackboard and chalk were the main tools of our education plus dedicated teachers

Thank you Carlisle, for all you did for evacuees

Overall the evacuation was a bit of a shambles and by the end of 1941 many children and adults had returned to their homes and I was one of them.

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