Before the war, I
lived with my widowed mother and a housekeeper in a house on the seafront at Folkestone,
Kent and went to a convent school on the other side of the town. I was fifteen when the
politicians started to talk about a war with Germany, when they invaided Poland and
wouldn't heed Mr Chamberlain's warning to stop. So on Sunday 3rd September 1939 there was
no alternative for the Prime Minister but to declare war with Germany. At the time,
everyone thought it would only be a matter of a few months before the Germans would think
better of it and turn back from Poland, but unfortunately they didn't.
My mother thought where we were living would be very vulnerable if there was an invasion
and on Monday 4th September she hired a big old open Morris car and driver, packed it with
our clothes, food, ourselves and my Auntie and Cousin (aged 8) and two dogs! Then we
started a long journey by road to Wimborne in Dorset where my mother was having a bungalow
built, which she thought was a safer place to be. (All pupils from my school were
evacuated to a school in Devon, but my Mum wanted me with her). Soon we were able to move
into the new bungalow, which was in a small village called Holt, near Wimborne. As I
didn't want to start a new school down there (after all we would be home in a few months!)
I was asked to be a 'Student Teacher' at the village school tohelp out the two adult
teachers, there were about 40 children. |
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I'd had my sixteenth birthday
by then and quite often I was left with all of them at lunchtime whilst the teachers went
out for a brake. One day the siren went whilst I was on my own and I had to get all the
children to sit under their desks and tables while I read a story. There was the sound of
guns in the distance and we were all rather frightened! However, the 'all clear' sounded
and we were able to go home.
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One day the
village seemed to be suddenly 'abuzz' with army tanks and soldiers everywhere - they had
set up camp in some of the fields nearby and were getting ready to go to France and to the
war. All the villagers befriended the soldiers and invited them to their houses for hot
meals as they lived under canvas (tents) and it was very wet and cold.
After about a year, just before Christmas 1940, we were suddenly being very disturbed
every night with the sirens going and enemy planes flying overhead. We had an air-raid
shelter built in the hall of the bungalow surrounded by sandbags and corrugated iron which
we used to sit in, in the pitch dark as we weren't allowed to have any lights on. One
night there was a terrific bang, everything shook (including us). In the morning we
discovered a German plane had unloaded a stick of bombs in a field just behind our house.
They did this if they wanted to get back to Germany quickly and hadn't found their real
target. This plane had been to Bristol and obviously didn't find what he wanted to bomb so
unloaded on us!!
Well that was quite enough for my mum, Holt wasn't the place she wanted to be and so once
more we had to move to a safer place.
This story will continue in a later issue.
Mrs Wynne-Roberts
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Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in
your life. |
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The W. I. Market would like to thank all
those who have given them Jam Jars. We do not need any more at present, but please keep
saving them (without lids) as we'll be back!
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Terry Chappelle and Friends
Present
AN OLD TIME MUSIC HALL
Saturday 15th February 2003
St. Andrew's Church Hall
Cromer Road, Sheringham
7:30pm
Tickets £5
Available from Bertram Watts
or at the door
All proceeds to:
Save the Children Fund
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READERS
LETTER |
Sheringham Youth
We wish to thank the editor of @ Sheringham for inviting us to Kerris' 18th birthday party
at Sheringham Social Club. The editors comments in a previous issue that trouble in
Sheringham was caused by only a minority core of youngsters was borne out at this party.
The young guests had great fun and their behaviour was exemplary.Young and old alike
joined together in what we hope was a memorable evening for Kerri.
Norman and Diane Ball.(via e-mail)
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SHERINGHAM
LAUNDERETTE
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FROM 8.30am -8.00pm |
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Or let US wash it for YOU for a
small extra fee
We also offer
Domestic and Commercial Washing, Drying and
Ironing Services |
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Mondays -Saturdays
9:30am - 1:00pm &
2:pm - 5:00pm
13/15 Beeston Rd Sheringham
01263 824 063
Parking Available |
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