An Awful Evacuation Experience in Cleveleys.

In September 1939 the children from our school were evacuated to Cleveleys near Blackpool. I vaguely remember standing in a hall (I was aged ten) with my sisters, Nancy
and Josie. We were the last to be billeted. As Josie was the oldest she insisted we had to
stay together.
Why Josie bothered I don’t know? I can’t remember anything about her being there. She soon went home, as she was old enough for work. Why didn’t she take us with her? Nancy and I (Rita McCleary) were the only ones from Liverpool in the house in Rossall
Road, Cleveleys.
The other evacuees were from Manchester. Is that why they did not like us? I do not think
so. It was aunt Sara’s fault. What do kids know? Nancy and I were ‘shock, horror’ the only Catholics in the house.
The house belonged to grandma Wilson. I think she was going senile. aunt Sara was a
paid companion. She should have been reported, but who to? A social worker, perhaps?
I doubt it there was a war going on!
Two of the other girls, Barbara and Pauline were from ‘Styal Homes.’ They were both orphans. Their school was Chorlton-cum-Hardy Grammar. Two brothers, Fred and
Dennis were from Cheetham orphanage. Now one of the finest music schools in the
country.
One day the front door was open, we never used the front entrance. When I looked out,
Betty (another evacuee) was at the gate. She said, “I’m waiting for my mum and dad. They’re taking me to Fleetwood. Ask aunt Sara if you can come with us.” I informed
her that I did not speak to aunt Sara, if I could help it. Besides, she would not have noticed that I had gone.
Day’s later Fred, Dennis and myself were sitting in the back room. I had long curly hair.
. I had a comb and a mirror and I was saying to the lads. “Look at those waves.” The
next thing, aunt Sara dragged me off the chair. “You vain little creature.” She said.
We went straight to the hairdressers. My hair was chopped off, above the ears.
I did not cry or do anything. When we arrived back at the house (you could not call it
home). Fred and Dennis must have told the others. They were all sitting there and just
stared. We were all in shock. We should have had counselling, but it was not in vogue then. After all there was a war going on.
One summer in the school holidays aunt Sara took in some ‘paying guests.’ There was a
big wooden shed in the back garden. We had to stay in there. You could not see it from the house. It contained a wardrobe, a double bed and a large chair. Pauline, Barbara, Nancy and I slept in the bed. Fred and Dennis had the armchair. Barbara and Pauline used to roll up their pyjamas, put their coats on and climb through the small window. It looked on to a field. They bought lemonade and crisps and always seemed to have money. They said that their older brothers and sisters sent the money! We played ‘war games’ “bang!bang! You’re dead.” We exclaimed probably thinking that we were shooting aunt Sara. She was our own particular enemy.

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