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We were sent home from school in Streatham one day with a letter saying that our evacuation would be happening that Friday. The letter told our parents that we should bring a knapsack with a change of clothing in it. When the day arrived, we all had to wear labels with our name and the name of our school on them.

We walked down to Streatham Common station in pairs as our mothers walked behind us crying. A train steamed in for all the evacuees and one parent was allocated to look after every four children. I was in Miss Harrison's group. At this stage no-body knew where we were going. I gather our parents tried to find out but were not told either. We ended up in Eastbourne and had arrived there by lunchtime. I remember that we had been given some emergency rations, including a bar of chocolate. One boy had started to eat his chocolate and got in trouble because he was told it was not for him, but for the family he was to be billeted with. My two sisters and I were lucky to be taken together. At this time we were aged 7, 10 and 13. Our hosts had two sons and altogether there were six of us in the house because the man’s mother and sister lived there also. One night a man called at the door to ask who was living there- this was information for our identity cards. I can still recite the number on my card today.

Our own parents were so determined that our family would stay together during the war, that within 6 weeks they had taken a house in Eastbourne themselves and we were able to move back in with them. The garden of our house became the meeting point for all the children from our school in the evenings. My mother used to stand in the kitchen and fry chips for all the children each night. She was determined that all the children should be as happy as possible.

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