大象传媒

After The Luftwaffe rained down over 1000 metric tonnes of explosives on Belfast leaving 1000 dead and over 2500 injured, thousands of children were hastily evacuated to rural areas in Ulster. Most went with their mothers and often to relatives but some, like myself, whose mothers were often the breadwinners, required to go and take potluck with strangers. My luck held and my sojurn in County Fermanagh was happy, carefree and indeed influenced my life forever.

My father being dead,my mother and I had lived with grandparents, an aunt and two uncles. Now here I was on a large farm, living in a big house and wonder of wonders, with a bed of my very own. My newfound family were deeply religious but in truth "the salt of the earth". I was treated with great kindness and soon adapted to life on the farm. My new fostermother had been a professional cook in America and her meals were superb. Skinny, pale old me soon blossomed in the good country air. My mother sent money for a bicycle and I cycled the two miles to the little village school with only two teachers. In fact, I cycled everywhere. The lakes were convenient and occasionally I was allowed to go into Enniskillen to sample the wonders of Woolworths.

But it was the farm which drew me. I helped feed the poultry and churn the butter. During my time there one of the cows calved and my fosterfather said I could name her. She was black and white and I called her Phemar - a combination of my own and my mother's name.

When the bombing ceased I was brought back home and although it was good to see my family, I still eagerly awaited the holidays when my mother put me and my bicycle into the guard's van to travel the hundred or so miles by train deep into the Fermanagh countryside.

I am now 72 years of age and still go to Fermanagh several times a year. I still keep in touch with the descendants of that wonderful family and my mother is buried on land gifted by them to the local church. There isn't a day in my life when I don't recall something of that glorious time I had as an evacuee. My heart is still in Fermanagh.

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