On September 9 1939, about half my school -Archibald School, Middlesbrough- were put on a train with no idea of our destination. I was 9 at the time.. I did not know what evacuation was all about and went because all my friends were going! I sometimes wonder if they understood that it meant leaving your mother and father behind!
After a few hours the train stopped at a small station and we all got out and were lined up "for inspection" My best friend, Cyril Hudson , and I stayed together hoping to be chosen as a pair. Two ladies came up and sort of claimed us. Don't worry they said as we only live a few doors apart.
We had finished up in Rowntrees model village- New Earswick, near York. What a place for nine year old kids! It was completely different ot smoky Middlesbrough. We had a modern school with big windows to each classroom which allowed them to be folded back so that you could have lessons in the open air. There were playing fields everywhere, a community centre,a good library and lots of fresh air to breathe. Every house had two apple trees and each road was lined with the tree that gave it its name. We lived in Rowan Avenue and so the road was lined with Rowan Trees. Cherry Tree Grove had Flowering Cherries etc.
We spent a lot of time in the make shift air raid shelter in the house ( under the stairs) as the sirens went every time the Germans bombed Hull. Which happened a lot.
I passed the "scholarship" in 1941 and had to return to Middlesbrough..There had been very little bombing whilst I had been away, but as soon as I returned the bombing started in earnest. So being evacuated had been unnecessary. Added to that, after I left York the Germans bombed it in a "Baedeker" raid.
Anyway I enjoyed my time in York and they told us that being an evacuee helped the country win the war
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