大象传媒

As a child I had a speech problem, my second name Brian, I pronounced Bwian. And as an active five year old innocent, I had little idea why the neighbours offered me a profusion of, Chocolate Biscuits. I loved the laughter and amusement that my efforts created. 'May I have a chocsit bigsit please'!....
One of my favourite sources was a house opposite, where my friend Ralph lived. He was a lad some ten or twelve years older than I. This was during 1936/7. Ralph was a kind giant, who spent many hours helping me get my tongue around such words as 'Hospital' and to get my 'r's and 'w's in the right place.

I was a small child, my father was just 5'3", my mother barely five feet tall. So you could imagine my being so small that to me 'Ralph' seemed to me to be a giant! When I saw him when he left for the war, he was over six feet tall, and big and strong with it. I was now eight, Ralph towering above me, strong and confident...My hero was off to win the war...

The war was well underway, it was agreed that we should be evacuated. My sister [11] and I now eight, would accompany our elder brother of thirteen, with his school; Tooting Bec Grammar. To ensure that we were healthy enough for the move...We arrived one morning, at the school's sports field, carrying our luggage.. My dear father trying so hard to keep our spirits high drew in large letters on my case..
M.P. and then on the inside he had written 'mince pie' We were to walk around the track some four times, I think a mile... A motley crew we must have looked, wearing heavy overcoats, on a warm day...With luggage labels pinned to our chests, with our identification.
At the end of our trek, my brother was carrying all our luggage, and our coats... He was taking his responsibility very seriously indeed...

A week later we were on our way. We first went to Chailey in Sussex. Nobody wanted a family of three. We waited hours, sadly being turned down by all.

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