大象传媒

I was 11 when the war started. I鈥檇 been through the 11+ exam and was about to start Twickenham Girls Grammar school. War was declared on the third, we were little 1st years and got postcards from the headmistress saying 鈥減lease don鈥檛 come into school until we have built the air raid shelters.鈥�
Then we got a message to say come to Twickenham station and our group of 1st years were taken to Twickenham Rugby ground. So for the first few weeks we were taught in the directors meeting rooms. Once the air raid shelters were completed we started our school
In 1940 the school was bombed, with firebombs. The firebombs doused the fire. The staff, common and book rooms were badly damaged. For years after we had books with watermarks on them.
I travelled to school for half an hour on the train, from Ashford in Middlesex to Twickenham station. It was very frightening as very often the siren would sound.
The next station to Ashford is Feltham, which had a huge goods yard. It was a huge depot of railways. So often the siren would sound near there. We had to get off the train and wait for buses and coaches to take us to school and very often when I got there everyone was down in the shelters.

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