大象传媒

This story has been passed on to me by the person who wishes to be known as 'Tiny'. He is a family friend and has asked me to contribute this on his behalf.
PRELUDE
About March or April,1939, I was one of a group of males who were called up for six months' military training in the Militia. After being examined by four doctors a discussion took place between them and the senior doctor, then one of them re-examined me. Finally the senior doctor said "We will put you in Medical Grade 111." I had been seriously ill in 1935, and obviously was not up to A1 standard required for immediate military service, but would be put on reserve. The effect of this meant that on leaving Teacher Training College I found it difficult to be offered a teaching post in case I was called up now that the war had started and the Education Authority would be expected to make up my salary. In each of my two years at College I had a loan of 拢40 per year, from Birkenhead Education Authority, which had to be repaid at 拢5 per term when I obtained a teaching post. The result was that Birkenhead, in order to recover their loan, offered me supply work in any school where a teacher was needed temporarily.
EVACUATION
(1) The National Children's Home in Birkenhead had moved about thirty boys, aged seven to fourteen, to a Church Hall in Llandulas,in Denbighshire, North Wales, soon after war was declared. I learnt that there was some trouble about their education as they were not Denbighshire children, therefore that Education Authority was not responsible for them as they did not qualify as official evacuees. Eventually Birkenhead took over the responsibility of running Llandulas Village Hall and sent a Mrs Roberts to set up a school there to teach these boys. Soon Birkenhead E.A. sent me to assist Mrs Roberts who had an agreement with the Home that afternoon school would start at 1.30 p.m. on Fridays instead of 2 p.m., thus allowing Mrs Roberts to finish school at 3.30p.m in order to catch the 3.45 bus to Abergele which connected with a train to Birkenhead. She had to return on the 2 p.m train on Sunday afternoon. Soon after I arrived at Llandulas we agreed on an unofficial arrangement when we would take it in turns to catch the 3.45 p.m. bus to Abergele on alternate Fridays, and she, or I, would catch a later train. The one leaving early would then return on Sunday afternoon and start teaching at 9 a.m. on Monday morning, and the other person would travel back to Wales on the 7.15 a.m. train from Birkenhead on Monday, arriving in time to take up teaching duties at a little after 10.a.m. This worked very well for some time time.
It was my turn to start teaching at 9.a.m. and I had just got into my stride when the door burst open and in strode a very pompous gentleman carrying a brief case. He announced himself as Mr Hughes, H.M. Inspector of Schools, and demanded to know who was in charge. Shock Horror! I said "Mrs Roberts." "Where is she?" I explained that she had not been on the train on Sunday and had not arrived at School. Out came his note book. "Most irregular; I shall report this. Who was I, and what was I doing there? Where was the register?" "We do not have a proper register," I confessed. More note taking. "At first we just kept a note book, but as the boys always attended this had been dicontinued," I admiited. Strong words of condemnation. The questions, about the teaching, etc; continued, and the notebook got fuller. Meanwhile the clock was ticking away, then I heard the train whistle, and knew Mrs Roberts would be alighting on the Llandulas platform, blissfully unaware of what, and who, awaited her. Fortunately, just at that moment Mr Hughes closed his notebook saying, "I shall send a full report about this to the Authority." The notebook was stowed away in the briefcase with all its damning evidence and H.M.Inspector departed with an air of utter disgust.
Mrs Roberts by this time was only a few yards from the door as the irate gentleman burst out, and rather than confront him walked past the Hall as he got into his car and drove away. I recounted the unfortunate incident - my first encounter with one of H.M.Inspectors. At midday Mrs Roberts rang Birkenhead to explain that she wasn't well on Sunday but had come in late on Monday. "Don't worry, forget it," she was told. She reported the visit of the Inspector and his expected damning report, but was told not to worry about that either, and they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.
So all went well and life continued as usual until Christmas, when the decision was made for the boys to return to Birkenhead, and the school was closed.
Months later I met Mrs Roberts who told me that when in the Office she had learnt that the Inspector's report went to Denbighshire Education Authority who promptly contacted Llandulas School who of course knew nothing about Mr Hughes, so it was not until Christmas that the report reached Birkenhead. It was acknowledged and reported that the school was now closed and that was the end of the matter.

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