- Contributed by听
- Bridport Museum
- People in story:听
- Ronald Jesse Stoodley, Valerie Stoodley
- Location of story:听
- Bridport, Dorset
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A3937160
- Contributed on:听
- 22 April 2005
Mrs Valerie Jeans Date of Birth 1.11.1936
All the women in Bridport - well, mostly - did nets of one sort or the other. Because although the machines could make the nets they couldn't do a selvedge on either side. You couldn't do a selvedge on a machine.
My father joined up in 1943, and he was at Lord's Cricket Ground And someone was calling out all the (religious) denominations and he was the only one left. And they asked him what the blank was he, and he said a Unitarian, and it was the first time my father realised it was something very unusual to be. He joined up as a radio operator. But he was always terribly ill when they took off, so he didn't become a radio operator.
The official evacuees, they came from Paddington. All I can remember is that I did have to sleep with this girl. Much older than me. She used to wet the bed, and being only three I used to get the blame. Until one morning - she'd slept somewhere else the night before, I don't know where - the bed was dry and they could see it wasn't my fault. I do remember being cold in bed - you couldn't just go and buy new blankets without the coupons.
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