大象传媒

I remember war breaking out - I was coming home from the North Shields Memorial Methodist Church when the sirens went off. The sirens were going off and it was just a drill.

I was evacuated to Long Framligton with my mother, her sister, her child and my younger brother. We had trouble finding accomodation and spent the first awful winter in a hut in a farmer's field with no electricity or running water. We had to fetch water and light was provided by oil lamps.

My father was a Tyne Pilot so it was a reserved occupation. If he had joined up he would have been a lt. commander but he wanted to stay at home. Because he was in a reserved occupation he used to get extra rations and sometimes he would get food from the ships - we were better off than most then to go along with our rations. He also helped his sister by buying some of her rations from her - she was very poor. There were about 100 pilots at the time. If my father was not rostered for duty he would cycle to me in Long Framlington - about 30 miles - sometimes he came in by bus and as he was walking towards me I can see him now as I would run towards him and be gathered up in his arms. This is the most poignant memory.

We got out of that hut by the end of the winter and we then rented a farmhouse from someone called Brody - they lived in one part of the house and we lived in another. I used to get into trouble from Mr Brody's wife - I didnt like her - she used to grow Gladioli leading up to the door against a slightly raised ledge. I usually walked along the wall and occassionaly I would step by accident into the flowers. She was sure I did it on purpose.

My mother's room used to be the granary - I am not sure if the granary was still there but the mice certainly were - scuttling around on the ceiling. My mother hated that!

I hated the school. On the first day I realised that I was an alien, being from the city and I was bullied. At least I was always top of the class. I remember one lad who was a nice lad passing the 11 plus. He was the first I ever knew to do it in that little village school. The two teachers had to share a single classroom with about 35 kids of all mixed ages and abilities. Once a bird's nest was robbed and the headmaster asked for the culprit to come forward and confess. No one confessed so he caned every child in the school - boys and girls of all ages. I felt this was very unjust and coloured my later political ideas.

I came back to North Shields in 1942 and went back to my old school. When I took my 11+ I passed and went to Tynemouth High School in 1943 where I stayed till after the war finished.

I can remember the war turning towards the allies favour - I went to a cinema in North Shields (there were about 10 of them then - none left at all now) - the cinema was The Howard. It was a flea pit. I remember the news coming on with a flash that "Italy Has Surrendered" - a huge cheer went up as we thought the war would be over soon - but of course it wasn't. I dont have a very strong memory of the end of the war.

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