大象传媒

I was nine years old and the year was 1944 when I and my little sister aged four were eva
cuated from London to Bolton in Lancashire. I took six hours to get there on the train and when we finally arrived we were herded into a large hall which had camp beds down each side. It was late and we were given something to at and had to go to bed. The following day is imbedded in my memory for ever. People arrived at the hall and started choosing one child to stay with them. I remember absolutely refusing to be separated from my little sister and consequently we were left until last as we appeared to be the only two siblings there. Two elderly women came in and looked us over. I think they were reluctant but had been pressurinsed into taking us. When they took us to their house, I felt very homesick and started to cry. They didn't like this at all and seemed to think I should be grateful. They kept telling me my sister was much better as she didn't cry at all, but I knew she felt secure as long as I was there because I had often looked after her on my own at home. I hated every minute I spent in their house and can still smell what they called the 'dog's pluck' whatever that was, cooking in an old saucepan on top of the open fire.
I kept trying to send tear-stained letters home to my parents, but one of the women always found them and put them on the fire. Finally I managed to get a letter off to my mum and dad and they were up on the next train. We had been there three months and things were just as bad in London at that time. I begged them to take us home and although very relucant, they did.
When we finally arrived back at our house, the first thing I heard was the siren, warning of a raid, and I knew I was home.
The road where I lived seemed to be charmed. Bombs fell in all the streets around it, but the worst thing we had (several times) was broken windows and toilets, caused by the blast. I know that many evacuees have happy memories of their enfored stay away from home, but I will never forget the unfeeling cruelty of those two elderly women, to a frightened little girl.

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