大象传媒

My sister and myself lived in Grays in Essex and went to different schools and as l was the eldest l had to look after her. When we were evacuated to Worthing we were told that we could go to the same school but we did not. The lady that took us in was going to have a baby and could not cope with us so our parents came and took us home. This was during the lull and of course it got really bad because where we lived they would come along the Thames and drop bombs so our mum and dad decided that we had to be evacuated again.

This time we went to Ilfracombe Bay which was a much better place but the only trouble was that it was a long way from home and we did not see our parents for two years. As we were children we did not really notice it. Then Cardiff and Bristol went up so most of the children from these places came to Ilfracombe as well. My sister and myself went to the local school which was the grammar school with the girls and boys going on different alternate days. The teachers were elderly people who could not teach us and it was a waste of time going but at least it kept us off the street and that was the most important thing. As for holidays they were twice as long as they are now, but we did not care as we were fed and clothed. We missed our mums and dads but it was one of those things which we accepted. At this time it was getting towards the end of the war and l was old enough to go to work in the city office of a tobacco company.

One day the doodle bombs struck on the railway lines across the road from our house. The lady across the road was hit and there was not much of her house left so we went and helped and got all her things in our house and when the war was over my father sold our house and came down to Thanet.

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