ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

I don't remember saying goodbye to my Mother on Friday 1st September 1939, but I do remember singing "Sing as we go" on a train somewhere and think that must have been the beginning. We were taken by bus to the village hall in Charing and given tea and cakes. Then buses came along to take people to various billets. There was no room for about 10 of us on the buses so we went by horsebox to meet up with about 40 other evacuees at Calehill Park, the home of the American millionaire Mr Chester Beattie We slept in a Tudor Ballroom which had been changed into a dormitory. On the Saturday morning Mr Beattie or one of his Staff came down to check that we all had raincoats and wellington boots. I was supplied with them as were several others children.

Sunday morning we all went to Littlechart Church and during the service we heard the siren and a man came up the aisle to the Vicar who stopped the service and announced that War had been declared. My knees went like jelly but as a 12 year old,I had no idea what war really meant.

Over a period of time Mr Beattie had a walkway made through to the huge glass conservatory, the palms were removed and several bathrooms installed. Since I came from a home with no bathroom it was like a dream.

There was a large walled garden with fruits growing on the walls, greenhouses with water running round the floor where the frogs played. A huge outdoor swimming wall which we were allowed to use. I could not swim because I had had Rheumatic Fever but I did dip my feet in. Eventually I ended up walking up the middle of the river to pick watercress. It did not seem to make any difference. I also ironed my only dress whilst it was wet and put it straight back on. My Mother would have had a fit had she known.

We learned a lot about nature and recognised all the birds and had a marvellous time throught that wonderful summer. In June of 1940 we heard that we were all to be moved because the Army was to take over all boarding schools and on the 28th June 1940 we left for the village of Bethersden and I was put on a farm in the middle of nowhere with two "old" people. Nowadays I think they were probably 40. I stayed there for two weeks and was missing my dormitory pals so I went back to London for two weeks. Mrs Blundell, the Headmistress arranged for me to stay in a billet in the High St in Bethersden and I am stil in touch with the baby of the house - she is now well turned 60 and travels to Cornwall to visit us twice a year.

Sheila Caney arranged a 50th reunion in 1994 and several off us including one teacher made it back to the village hall at Smarden where we had finally ended up going to school. The first few months of schooling took place in the Baptist Chapel Bethersden and we only had the place for the hymn books as a desk, with the teacher standing in the pulpit.

We finally went to a house called Gilletts in the High Street at Smarden and were taken there by two cars. One was a Buick which we all tried to get in and the other was a much older car which we felt was not good enough for us.

Going to Kent changed my life. I love the country and never go back to London unless I really have to. I still would like to be able to thank Mr Chester Beattie for all he did for all of us. I tried to find his daughter Sarah on the Internet, but all to no avail. She was about three and rode her pony through the marvellous park where we were all allowed to roam.

I'm now a great grandmother and tell them all about my hop picking adventures and living with a millionaire. I have lots of pictures including one of a cake made for the Reunion in '94 with the Words. "Happy Memories 1939 - 1994. Catford Central School". We also had another re-union five years later and said we would all go back on our zimmer frames but we never made it!
Happy Memories Indeed for a little girl from Catford.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.