大象传媒

World War 2

I was four at the start of the war. Unlike most people we moved to central London because my father was in a reserved occupation. I had a grandmother who lived in Seaford, Sussex and it was decided I should go to boarding school there, and visit her on Sundays after church. I do not remember too much of life there apart from being sent outside to eat the fat on the meat and hiding it under dandelion leaves and finding it difficult to make my bed which was next to a wall. I remember the very long walk to church and the walk to my grandmother after. The walk back to school was long and tearful.

After six weeks the school was evacuated to a manor house at Barford Warwickshire. This was definitely traumatic. The first term was eighteen weeks long and no visits from parents. Travel was difficult. Although at four. and by two years the youngest, I was probably quite spoilt I do not remember that. Catching the train at Paddington each term was awful, I did not wash the spot of my mother's last kiss for sometime. However the end of term was wonderful, the days and hours were counted and the first meal was always sausages and baked beans and treacle pudding. Holidays were spent in rented houses in safe areas. We went to Oxford, Lindfield and Chesham Bois. Occasionally I stayed in London if the bombing was light and of course remember the bomb sites covered in Herb Robert. At school the little ones were protected from the news though the older ones would hear the nine o'clock news. We did see the planes in the sky for the raids on Coventry and the thousands of planes going over early in the morning on D day.

The food remains a pretty clear memory, porridge (often lumpy) and bread and margarine for breakfast. The bread had to be cut into squares before marg or jam (never both together) were put on, I don't remember lunch except on Sundays when we always had stewed fruit with pastry squares and custard which was a highlight. Tea was always brown bread and jam and supper included macaroni cheese and pilchards which I cannot stand to this day. We were never allowed to leave an atom of salt on the plates as our vice principal kept two pigs and salt was bad for them. When the first oranges appeared there was great excitement. Sweets were given out on Wednesdays and Sundays after lunch. Sharps toffees, (about four each time) were a great favourite but there was never any chocolate.

Classrooms were in a large garage and harness rooms. The whole school (very small) did homework in the garage. We wrote home on Sundays after church, with long incomprehensible sermons and another very long walk. We all caught every conceivable childhood disease, in spite of being given cod liver oil and malt and all being given Syrup of Figs every Sunday. I spent most of one summer term in the san. and my bed was put outside which I enjoyed, probably because I was the centre of attention. The interrupted education no doubt contributed to a very poor, lifelong understanding of mathematics. We had two baths a week, two inches of water being the allowed amount, otherwise cold water for washing. Clean clothes once a week. These included in winter, woollen vests, liberty bodices, woollen stockings with suspenders and long navy knickers and viyella shirts.

At harvest times the older girls helped but we all went blackberry and rosehip picking and also the tops of stinging nettles. There were a lot of wood pigeons and wild rabbits and I am sure we consumed a fair number in stews. The weather always seemed to be good.

When peace was declared we had two days no lessons and I was sent yards of red, white and blue ribbon. I left that term and went back home to live and to school. On reflection I led a very sheltered war time, though it left me with a very strong aversion to saying good bye to anyone, particularly in my family, something I have never overcome and the source of much embarrassment. It also left me with a resolve never to send my children away to school.

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