大象传媒

SEPTEMBER 1ST 1939 LIVERPOOL

The Newsagents placards outside the shop stated
鈥淲ar Declared鈥�
鈥淗itler invades Poland.鈥�
I was in awe; knowing it would mean EVACUATION, as our land was going to be attacked.

We children were all, (mostly) sent off to a safer place, Wales, much to the sadness of our parents. They didn鈥檛 want us to be in the midst of the bombing, which was sure to be expected with Liverpool being a big shipping port with shipyards and docks, always busy.

All the children were mustered outside the Sacred Heart school, with our bags, labels, tags and gas masks prominent.

There were six children evacuated in my family. The eldest boy stayed at home. He had a job so he could help out financially, we were a poor family.

When we arrived at North Wales Womens Institute, my older brother and youngest sister were pocked to go together. Then us three sisters were chosen by the Chair of the Womens Institute. She liked us, three girls with auburn hair.

It must have been Friday evening when we settled in to Mill House, a small farmstead with a few cows and hens. The house was named after its Water Mill which enthralled us.

The first night it was lovely all three of us getting in to a bed smelling of crisp white linen. The family had two boys Glyn & Emyl who told us ghost stories before we got into bed. They talked about ghosts travelling along the telephone wires to the bedroom window. It was all a bit much for my older sister, who was 12!

Glyn was the oldest at sixteen. He worked for the local newspaper, the Wrexham Leader. His brother Emyl attended Grove Park College. There was also a sheepdog called Spotyn (Welsh for spot) we were taught Welsh words to speak to him!

When we had settled down, we were urged to write to our parents. I volunteered and wrote my first ever letter, starting with Dear Parents, and ending with 鈥淭ell Hitler to stop the war.鈥� Mrs Hughes put a little P.S. at the end to say that we were 鈥渘ot hurting鈥� which was her way of saying that we were OK.

Saturday Morning. First Day

We had a rather unsettled night during which my older sister tried to sleepwalk and I had to push her on to the bed and wake her.
She was sleeping in the middle of the big bed we were all sharing.
Mrs Hughes gave me the lovely job of ringing Mrs Meredith at the stores at the top of the hill.
The telephone was lovely an old-fashioned stand up one-piece phone with an earpiece to listen to whilst you spoke in to the other part.
First on the shopping list 3 pairs of Wellington boots & sizes, little did we know what they were for, but we soon found out!
We were up at the crack of dawn, no breakfast 鈥� out delivering milk in Billy cans.
Breakfast and school came after the milk delivery was done.
Mr Hughes had a car 鈥� a Morris Minor type.
He was a Corn Merchant and travelled to Oswestry quite often.
We soon found our way around Gresford village 鈥� delivering milk to all of the fine houses 鈥� one of the houses was owned by the McAlpine family.
I really loved living in the village.
It was a long walk to school and we had to go under a tunnel on the way.
There were bats in the tunnel and one day one of the teachers was attacked by one!
Sometimes we got a lift to or from school which was nice. Either Mr Hughes or our Priest Fr Danhen would drive us. There was no crime then.

Mr & Mrs Hughes had a gardener Mr Davis.
I was very interested and he gave me a semi-circular shaped patch to look after.
I have enjoyed gardening ever since.

After a few months settled at the Hughes house, Mr Davis the gardener retired.
I don鈥檛 know what happened, but Mrs Hughes could no longer cope, and we three girls had to move on.
We were disappointed to be leaving but we found another billet, where we could all live together.
We were not as happy but were still in Gresford.
Mrs Allington-Jones was a noted person in Gresford and lived at Allington Hall.
She allowed the school to use her hall to stage the Christmas Play that we put on for the people of the village.
We did a Nativity play. (My brother was Joseph and I was Mary.) Then we did a musical called 鈥� The Broken Statue.鈥�
Lastly we did a variety show in which the younger ones each carried a letter as we sang the following song:-

G is for Gresford Village the prettiest spot in Wales,
And for it鈥檚 Gracious ladies whose kindness never fails,
And R is for the Royal way theyv鈥檈 treated us all through,
From the 1st day of September when we were thrust on you
And E is for the Excellence of all your plans for us
And also for the Evacuees, the cause of all the fuss!
And S is for your School of course, a School of great renown
Which gave a royal welcome to us poor folk from town,
And F is for Foster parents, so good & kind & dear,
And also for the Friends we鈥檝e made among the children here,
And O is for Ourselves who try tonight to give you pleasure,
To show we do appreciate your kindness with measure,
And R is Ripling waters of pretty Gresford Lake and
Also for Remembrance when our farewell we take,
And D is many happy Days we鈥檒l spend among you here,
So now we鈥檒l say our 鈥淭hank you鈥�
By giving you a Cheer!
So Hip, Hip, Hip, Hooray for you!
Hip, Hip, Hip, Hooray!
Sing Hip, Hip, Hip, Hooray for you!
Hip, Hip, Hip, Hooray!

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