I started school in 1935, just before the war years began to shape our lives. When the evacuees arrived from London, the village seemed to change overnight. Before then, I don’t remember any real mischief or vandalism. But when they came, things were different.

On Sundays, after Chapel, our family always went for a walk. We took some of the evacuee children with us at first, but soon stopped — every time we passed a telephone pole, they’d throw stones and try to break the porcelain insulators on the wires. After that, I didn’t go walking with them again.

There were scuffles and fights between us, as boys will do, but we soon learned tricks to get the better of them. If they started chasing us, we’d dash into the nettles on Toot Hill. We wore bib and brace overalls, so the stings didn’t bother us — but the evacuees, in their shorts and sandals, weren’t so lucky! Still, friendships did form over time, and a few of them stayed on in the village even after the war ended, when most returned to London.

At school, we had gas mask drills and air raid practices. We’d march round the playground wearing our masks — what a pity no one took a photograph of that sight! During air raid warnings, we’d crawl under our desks and wait for the all-clear.

Our headmaster was a man to be feared. Everyone knew the sign — if he started twisting his wedding ring while scolding you, a “clout” was certain to follow. We called it “a fourpenny one,” and it certainly stung.

We were also encouraged to do our bit for the war effort. I remember picking herbs for Ransome’s, a local collection scheme. We gathered poppy petals, nettles, rosehips, elderflowers, and dandelion roots. They were weighed, but a big sack of poppy petals hardly registered on the scales. We didn’t earn much, but it felt like we were helping.

There were plenty of air raid warnings, and sometimes we could hear the bombs falling in the distance. I’ll never forget the day the first doodlebug came down in Wood Lane. I grabbed my brother’s Wellingtons — two sizes too big — and ran to see what had happened and to collect a bit of the bomb. Even though my brother set off after me, I reached the site first, tripping all the way in those loose boots.

Despite the war, we still found time for games and fun. We played rounders and sometimes cricket, but not football — there wasn’t a man around to organize it. Our Sports Day was a big event each year, and at Christmas we always put on a concert and had a marvellous party. Looking back, I’ve no idea where all the food came from in those days of rationing, but somehow, it was always there.

Joan’s notes

Sam Burton, 2 Shillington Road Born 1930.  Started school in 1935

Talking of coming of the evacuees :- “I don’t remember any vandalism until they came.  For instance, on a Sunday after Chapel we always went for a walk.  When they came, we took some along with us, but every telephone pole we came to, they used stones to break the porcelain wire connectors.  After that I wouldn’t got with them.

We had some fights of course; but if they were chasing after us, we always ran into the nettles on Toot Hill, because we wore “bib and brace overalls” so we didn’t get stung.  Coming after us in their shorts and sandals, they did!

But we did make friends and one or two stayed on in the village (even after the war), even after most went back to London.“I remember gas mask drill and air raid practices.  We had to parade round the playground with gas marks on.  (What a pity there’s no photograph of that!)“I was afraid of the H.M – most people were.  If he was telling you off and started twisting his wedding ring around his finger, you could guarantee you were going to get a clout – and sure enough he would land you a four penny one!“We went herb picking for Ransome’s.  We gathered poppy petals, nettles, rosehips, elderflowers and dandelion roots.  They were weighed – you got a huge bag of poppy petals and it hardly weighed anything!”“There were quite a lot of air raid warnings and we sat under our desks in school.”“When the first doodlebug dropped in Wood Lane, I grabbed my brother’s Wellingtons and ran to have a look and to collect a bit of bomb.  They were 2 sizes too big so I was near losing them, but I got there before my brother, even though he came after me.“We played rounders and sometimes cricket – we didn’t have football, because there was no man to take it.  We had a Sports Day and at Christmas we always did a concert and had a marvellous Christmas party – I don’t know where all the food can have come from in those days of rationing.”