大象传媒

Our father died while in the army in yorkshire july 1943.It was at this time it was decided that myself and my sister who was 7yrs were to be sent chesterfield for evacuation.Our mother walked us to the school we both attended to put on a coach to take us to liverpool st.station. It was a tearfull time for us all,there were many chidren on the platforms a clutching their cases and with labels on their lapels.when we reached our destination we had to line up on the platform and wait to be selected to go to our billet.we were picked by a nice lady who let us go into her lovely garden ,and pick and eat fresh strawberries.this was a big treat ,coming from a bomb damaged terraced house in londn,we were not used to nice gardens and fresh fruit.this did not last long,she received news of her husband who was serving in the RAF,that he had been killed in action.so we were moved to our second billet.This was an elderly couple who had a daughter. She and her boyfriend took us to a fairground as a treat.they took me onto the dodgemcars where after a short ride we crashed into another car where I hit my nose on the steering wheel and finished up bloodied.the family was very kind to us .but we disliked school,we stood out from the other children when we had line up for our free meals tickets in front of the class also the local kids would not play with us and called us dirty londoners.one day the father of the house decided to cut my hair, he sat me on a stool ,placed a pudding basin on my head,and tried to cut my hair apparently I was like a bucking bronco and they all had to hold me still.For some reason we had to move again to our third billet.This was very close to the town hall in chesterfield.the lady also took in lodgers.our room was in the attic where my sister and me shared a double bed.It was a cold room.We had to eat our meals downstairs in the sculler.when we ate our breakfast we sat opposite an old man whose teeth used to move up and down when he ate.we cannot remember who he was.we enjoyed playing in the nearby parkland and on the townhall steps which seemed very large and steep.we have vivid memories of making large snowballs in the winter and rolling them down the steps to make a snowman.
Altogether we were away for over two years,and when we came home to London,our younger brother who was about 7months when we left did not know us when wecame back.we all had to restart our lives again as a family.

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