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In 1939, I was living with my parents in Bradford, and attended Carlton Street Primary School, behind the Bradford Technical College in Great Horton Road.
One day my Mother took me and my sister Margaret,who was 4 year old, with other children from the school, and their parents to Walsden, Todmorden.
My Dad enlisted in the Air Force in 1939.I remember my Mum took us to one house where I remember there was a swing in the garden, which I played on while my Mum went inside the house.
I remember being stung on the back of my leg by a wasp and I still have the mark today.
I don`t now remember visiting any other houses but at all events I ended up being housed with a Mr. & Mrs. Langton, who had a corner shop, which sold everything. A typical corner shop of those days, like Arkwright in " Open All Hours ".
I called Mr & Mrs. Langton ` Auntie and Uncle` but no first names.
I remember that Mrs. Langton had lost her child so there were baby clothes which I used for my big doll which I took with me.
I earned 1d. per week spending money by preparing sweets into bags ready for the children coming in on Saturday mornings with their spending money.
One thing I do remember vividly was that Mr. Langton bred Budgerigars in the room over the shop. Mr. & Mrs. Langton lived in premises at the back of the shop.
Whenever the air raid sirens went off, we had to go down into a cellar which was underneath the house part of the premises.
There was no hot water on tap, but they had a water boiler over a sink. There was no bathroom so we used a tin bath in front of the fire every Friday and Uncle was sent out of the room while I had my bath.
They slept on a put-u-up bed in their living room and I used a bedroom over their living room.
My Mum would come to see me on Sundays when she could and I would wait on the corner opposite the railway station, after I had been to Sunday school.
The Sunday school was part of the village school which was across the canal from where I lived. I remember I wore red wooden clogs with rubber soles.

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