大象传媒

When the 2nd world war broke out, I was a college trained nursery nurse and in 1942 was 鈥渃alled up鈥� to serve in what was known as 鈥淲ar Nurseries.鈥�
I had a choice of two and went to North Dorset, where a nursery had been established in the country mansion of the Dowager Duchess of Northumberland, who as a strict anti-vivisectionist, would not have even a mouse destroyed! There were 30 children, aged 2-5 years from the East end of London brought to the country for safety.
We had a Matron, a Sister and 4 nurses who had to share duties - looking after the children, cleaning the bedrooms and doing the laundry. We also had a full-time cook.
The Duchess had established an Animal Sanctuary called 鈥淔erne鈥� on this beautiful estate,in the Cranbourne Chase, about 4 miles from Shaftsbury. There was always a gaggle of geese running free within yards of the front of the building, and the 2 nurses had to get 30 small children past them every day, when they went out for their daily walks. The Duchess could talk to them like children, and they followed her around like children.
There was an enclosed 鈥渞un鈥� in the front Garden where rabbits lived 鈥� the Duchess expected dogs to walk past without the slightest bit of interest! Her philosophy was that all animals should live in harmony together.
There were dogs and horses that had also been evacuated because their owners were at war or abroad.
Every animal had a Christian funeral, with the family and staff pets laid to rest in a consecrated garden within the grounds.
Most of the children settled happily, had fun - games and sadly, few had visits from their parents.
The children鈥檚 bedrooms and bathrooms were on the top floor of this high house and it was called the 鈥淐ereba鈥�. The laundry room was on this floor and that meant that our laundry duty meant that we had to climb 6 flights of stairs then go down from the top of the house down to the garden area where we hung out the washing to dry. We were thankful to have one of the earliest washing machines in 1942 because the children鈥檚 sheets and blankets were changed every few days and 30 youngsters made a lot of personal washing. A voluntary worker came in 3 afternoons a week to do the ironing for which we were grateful.
The playroom was a very large billiard room and served us very well. The children could be very active.
The staff dining-room was a very wide corridor leading to the playroom.
We had a very poor social life for girls in their late teens and early 20鈥檚 鈥� a bus ran 3 times a week to Shaftsbury or Salisbury 鈥� lucky if your half-day fell on a bus-day. I had my bicycle so was more mobile than the others. Because the staff was so small we rarely had a friend to spend our free time with.
Every Sunday evening the Duchess invited us into her quarters and with her staff we all shared a little Service together, at which I played the piano.
At Christmas time I always arranged a little concert, which the children acted, and the Duchess and her staff came in as the audience.
Our nearest neighbour 鈥� a few miles away, was the Court photographer, Cecil Beaton, and I have photographs which he took of the children, one afternoon.
After two years at Ferne I moved into day nursery work so that I could live at home. These nurseries were the fore-runners of the pre-school groups, which people rely on these days for their children to be looked after while their mothers go out to work.
I have never read or seen any reference to this branch of recognised war work.
W.M.White

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