大象传媒

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Preston Deanery consisted of four semi-detached properties, half a dozen farms and Preston Deanery Hall, once inhabited by monks but now a private residence.

The first semi was occupied by Mr and Mr Haxley, the second by a rather strange but friendly old lady, No.3 housed Mr and Mrs Rainbow and their eight year old daughter Paula and No.4 was now ours.

Our possessions by now consisted of two suitcases and a knapsack. Fortunately the previous occupier had left a few small odds and ends together with a small table and a couple of chairs. The neighbours here were far more friendly and sympathetic to our plight and with their help and the help of our friendly policeman we soon acquired the basic necessities e.g. beds and blankets.

Mum got a part-time job as a domestic at the Hall which was occupied by the Harrison family. They had a nine year old son Brian who used to steal cigarettes from his dad who seemed to have an endless supply, and we used to hide under a small bridge by a stream smoking whatever Brian could steal.

Mum thought it strange that Mr Harrison was not in the armed forces. As he had so much wealth and was able to obtain luxuries denied to the majority. Mum was convinced he was a "Spive".

Paula Rainbow, Brian and I were the only three kids in the area so it was natural that we spent most of our free time together. Paula and I attended the school at Hackelton and Brian went to a private school in Northampton.

School was for the most part a living hell. Most of the evacuees were not able to integrate into the school culture and this was not helped by many of the staff who saw us as thieving dirty scruffy urban uneducated kids who were disrupting the school. The situation was not helped by the Headmaster. To the local boys he was "Mr Spittle." To the evacuees it was "You call me SIR when I'm talking to you".

The school playgrounds were separated by a four or five foot wall, boys one side and girls the other. During playtime it was a practice amongst the local boys to pull themselves up to look over the wall and shout or throw small objects at the girls. We had been told many times during assembly that this practice must stop or the violators would be severely punished. In practice evacuees, if caught, at the best would have to write one thousand lines after school, or at the worst be given "six of the best" by Sir and his infamous cane! The local lads seemed to get away with a reprimand even if a teacher caught them at it.

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