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This story was submitted to the People's War site by volunteer from The Chepstow Society on behalf of Miss H E Richards and has been added to the site with her permission. Miss H E Richards fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Torquay in wartime - September 1941 to September 1944

This was my first introduction to Devon, a lovely county with a mild climate and above average sunshine. We made the most of all opportunities offered. We attended classes to become Fire Guards and I still hold the certificate issued by Torquay Borough Council saying I was a member of a Fire Fighting Party in 1941. We would take an occasional night on duty to look out for fire bombs. We were students training to be teachers of Domestic Science. The Ministry of Food encouraged us to help the public make the most of Food Rationing. We had a stall in the market demonstrating how best to use our meagre rations. We used a shop window in the middle of Torquay in Fore Street in what might have been the Co-op also showing the preparation of various foods.

In College we organised various activities to make money for the Spitfire fund. One of these I remember well as it was a Scavenger Hunt. One item we had to collect was a ticket from a weighing machine showing some quite heavy weight. Opposite Ferny Bank, outside a shop was a weighing machine with a dial. Our particular friends must have been of the slender variety as I recall a couple of us waiting near the machine looking out for a heavyweight cadet! We found one and asked if he would mind being weight - we paid of course, and we had come armed with lots of our college text books. Whilst he was on the scales we kept on adding more and more books onto his outstretched arms until the pointer reached the desired amount and then we punched in for the result. He was added to our friends after that! A pianist played for Afternoon Tea at Rockey's Department Store and her autograph was needed for the Scavenger Hunt. We had to ask one of our cadet friends to ask for it as she would not give any of the girls her autograph.

When we were feeling particularly rich, as we might have received cash from home a group of us would decide to go out to tea. There was a lovely cafe with super food, the Tudor Rose, on the left hand side of the harbour, going towards the Imperial Hotel. Our favourite cakes were their Rum Babas, which were remarkable, absolutely delicious.

We found Kent's Cavern and I remember when we went round it. I was so amazed to hear how very ancient the rocks of our country were and of their formation. Torre Abbey and Cockington were also visited. On one of our visits to Brixham I saw my first tunny fish which was being landed from the fishing boats and we bought some sprats which we used for 'Star-gazing pasties' when we returned to college. I heard my first ice hockey broadcast in Brixham. There was a contingent of Canadians stationed nearby and one was in a cafe at the harbour side with his radio blaring a match between two Canadian teams so that some of his pals working outside could hear - as well as all the rest of us.

May of my year celebrated their 21st birthdays in Torquay - mine was in the August immediately following the end of the course at College. Our favourite venue was a party at the Babbacombe Bay Hotel right down by the sea and I had a party before the end of the term there as they served Lobster as the main course. A gracious meal.

The final year of our College course was incredibly busy. We had our Final Examinations, both Practical and Theoretical as well as our Final Teaching Practice. We also had to approach the finding of a job and off on our own. Life had been full and delightful - now out into the real world!

In those days most of us were very unsophisticated and I suppose I was rather naive and certainly trustful. Job notices went up on the College notice board as well as being found in newspapers. One on the noticeboard interested me greatly, particularly the codicil which stated 'ability to help with games would be an advantage.' I applied with alacrity.

A week or so later, in conversation with other students, one in particular appeared to know a lot about the school; I knew little of her. Her tales of the school to which I had applied were frightening. It sounded a horrible place and the children sounded quite nasty. All I knew was that the school was all girls, possibly boarding and at the moment evacuated to Chagford. I was very, very worried and became quite upset. Another student in another group tried to find out from me why I was no longer my cheerful self, so I told her. She asked for the name of the student and when I said, "Pat Williams", her reply was surprising, "Don't take any notice of her, she has applied for that job!" I grew up at that moment and was ready to meet the world. I spent six very happy years at St. Monica's School the head of P.E. married my brother and I have many friends still from those early years. Two of them with their husbands are each coming to stay again this year for a few days and one, now a widow, living in New Zealand, is also coming to stay in October when a large number of us meet for a reunion. It is a wonderful gathering of wives and husbands.

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