'The Day War Broke Out' (apologies to Rob Wilton) I was a spoilt 5-year-old only daughter on holiday at Bognor Regis with 2 aunts, 4 cousins, 2 uncles, mother and father in a huge Boarding House just up from the beach.
After a family council it was decided that the women and children stay on in a rented bungalow in Bognor and not return to London for safety. We stayed there for 9 months and then moved to Guildford when France capitulated. I went to two schools in Guildford, Jenner Street (I think) and then 'Greenacres' for two years. I went to hospital in Warren Road for a week. We lived in Harvey Road.
In 1942 my parents and I moved back to London, Dollis Hill, in time for the raids to start. I went to St. Helen's School in Willesden Green where, despite sleepless and scary nights, the staff carried on as though everything was normal. We got used to our schoolmates not turning up to school because they had been killed or injured and, because of the strongly disciplined school staff we were not affected too much, unless, of course they were our special friends. We Britains were made of sterner stuff in those days.
After we were 'got at' by a flying bomb there in 1944 my mother and I moved up to my grandmother's place in Glasgow. I went to Moray Park School there for one year.
After VE day we returned to London where I attended a 'Dame School' run by Mrs. Cooper in Rayner's Lane and the last school I attended was Parliament Hill School in Highgate.
I would be thrilled if anyone who was around any of those places at that time could get in touch for an interesting exchange of memories. My name was Carmel Turner, I was small for my age, had dark hair, and would spend break-times pressed against the wall drinking my milk, too nervous to venture out in to the wild part of the playground.
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