Open Writing

One day I tore my new best Sunday coat while climbing over a high fence at ‘The Mudchute’. I ran to Grandma and she sewed it for me so Mum would not know and I would not get a telling off. Later I realised Mum must have known as the sewing was not very good and you could see it a mile off. Mum never said a word and I think Grandma must have warned her not to say anything. That was my Gran!

Grandmas had a very special place in those days and provided security when children felt parents had been unjust or did not love them. I always knew that my Grandma understood, whatever the problem was.

She would tease me about my long legs and say 'You will catch your legs in your dress if you are not careful.' Seeing as my dress was short this was quite a joke.

One day I saw a pair of brown brogue shoes in a shop window at Greenwich. I asked Mum if I could have them and she gave me the money to go ‘over the water’ and buy them. I was so thrilled and showed them to Grandma, who said ‘That is the first sensible pair of shoes I have ever seen on your feet.' You can imagine how happy that made me.

I think Mum used to put me into ankle strap black patent shoes. I do not think a brogue shoe was considered fashionable to Mum at that time. My Mum was a very smart and fashion conscious young women, good looking, tall and slim. I was very proud whenever she came to my school as she always stood out from the other mothers.

I realise now that she was only young then. She was twentynine when I was ten. I never thought of her as young, which is sad really, but then she was ‘My Mum’ and that was all that counted. Children never care or know how old their parents are.

Now my Gran was always old, though looking back I realise she was only fifty eight when I first came to live near her. A hard life does show, for sure.

My Dad was also a smart dresser, with his Tootal Ties and pocket handkerchiefs to match. They loved going to the West End to see the latest shows and I was so pleased for them when they got all dressed up. I would feel very happy when they were going out to enjoy themselves. I would then be inn charge of my brothers, but Aunt Con and Gran were nearby if they were needed, and Aunt Con would call and check every so often. She told me that once when she looked in I was on the table dancing, with a friend watching me. I don’t think Mum would have liked to know that.

Before the war Mum and Dad owned a hardware shop and Dad had a business as a master builder and decorator.

Dad was a true master and the work he did was beautiful. I would go to a house where he was working and watch him. His graining and marbling looked so real and he was always praised for his work and I was very proud of him. He was an artist and in those days you could not buy ready mixed coloured paints so Dad had to mix his own. Watching my father work was a real joy and I loved to be with him.

There came a day when everything in the shop had to be sold off cheaply. There were Ack Ack guns on ‘The Mudchute’. Whenever the guns went off the blast would knock some of the china off the shelves so that it ended up broken on the floor.

It became necessary to sell everything and close the shop. This was sad as it was a thriving business and the sale of the stock brought little of its true value.

About this time everything started to change. The war with Germany was starting to be felt and children from all the schools in the London area were evacuated to different parts of the country. We never went away as my parents did not see the need and also they did not want to be without us so they kept us at home.

The war had not affected us seriously as yet. We carried our gas masks with us all the time and the windows had brown paper strips stuck on them to stop the glass from flying about in case of a blast. Blackout curtains were compulsory and everyone’s windows had to be well covered so not a chink of light could be seen. Air Raid Wardens walked the streets checking to see that not a glimmer of light was showing anywhere.

Rationing had started and families had sons coming home on leave in the uniform of the services they had joined. Some looked very smart and older girls would be seen proudly walking beside them.

With the schools closed and children evacuated, there were not many children left to play with. Mum decided she would try to give us a few lessons of a morning. Some of the other children who had stayed behind like us were invited to join in. This was fine for my young brothers but was not good for me. Mum did her best, but I was learning Algebra, Geometry and French, and poor Mum had no knowledge of these subjects. Gradually my desire and thirst for knowledge began to fade, and with it went my confidence.

My parents must have realised that it was not good for children to live this way, so it was decided we children should be evacuated after all. Mum wrote to Mrs Freebourne, the headmistress of my brothers' school, asking if we could be go and stay at Buscot Park.

There was no way that Mum and Dad would allow us to be split up and so she asked for all four of us to be together at Buscot Park.

Mum told me this recently. She said we were at Buscot Park foronly three or four months. This came as quite a shock, as it seemed much longer to me. I asked Mum where my school had been evacuated to, but this was something she could not remember.

There were three or four teachers at Buscot Park. Mr Wood was one of them. I remember him very well, and I can see his face as clearly as though I had seen him yesterday.

There was a big lake and it was part of Lord Farringdon’s Estate. I can recall quite vividly one of the days when we were all swimming in the lake. I swam under the murky water and deliberately grabbed Mr Wood’s leg for a joke. I thought I would scare him and make him think it was some monster fish.

A monster fish in an English lake? I ask you! But don’t forget, this was a child with a lively imagination.

Mr Wood was a nice teacher and took it in good fun, laughing. Looking back now I think it was really quite a cheeky thing to do to a teacher, and I was lucky not to be told off but the teachers were very nice to us, and we liked them very much. Maybe this is the reason why I was able to be at ease and have fun with Mr Wood.

During this time I missed my parents very much. This was a very sad and hard time for me.

My brothers slept at the Gatehouse as did all the boys. This was a large house at the entrance to the estate. The girls had their rooms at the top of the Big House. Two girls shared a room.

The Big House was Lord Farringdon’s stately home, standing in acres of land. There were beautiful laid-out gardens, a swimming pool and tennis courts. We were told there was also a small theatre with seating for seventy, but none of us ever saw inside of it, so I do not know if it really existed .