A WARM-TIME EVACUEE IN KINGSBURY
I was evacuated from London (via Norfolk) to Kingsbury in 1940 and lived in a lane called "Sunnyside" and went to Kingsbury School. The headmaster was a Mr Leonard Brain and I sang in the choir at Kingsbury Church. Behind the church the land dropped away which gave a good view of the river and the water meadows. The river seemingly was one large sewer and given to overflowing in the winter time which mean that anyone wishing to cross the meadows (children going to and from school) had to walk on a raised walkboards. Some time in 1942 (I think) a German plane dropped a bomb on a row of houses in which a number of people were killed and were subsequently buried in a mass grave in Kingsbury churchyard. It was not an uncommon sight to see Kingsbury men walking to work in the colliery. These men were given an allowance of coal which was delivered to their homes by horse and cart. The village must have appeared to be very crowded to the local population as a result of the considerably large number of evacuess from both London and Birmingham during the war years, but never the less I remember the local people as being both warm and friendly.
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RE: RE: A War-Time Evacuee in Kingsbury
I was an evacuee from Stepney Causeway, London in 1943 and was sent to Bodymoor Green Cottages, Hurley Lane. I had to walk to and from Kingsbury School regardless of the weather conditions, including floods (walking the railway track to Kingsbury station) then carrying on to school. On a Thursday night walking to Kingsbury church to choir practice and on Sunday I had to do that walk three times. Once for morning service then home for dinner, back to church for Sunday School, home for tea, and back to church for evensong - all from the age of seven! Only five dim street lights from Kingsbury church to Kingsbury station and from Kingsbury station on - pitch black till you opened the door at home. It was war time and so very little traffic. I also had to walk to the Holly Bush Pub in Hurley to carry a two pint Cheethams Pop bottle full of beer for the foster father - they used to put a little sticker over the top, ha!! If it wasn't from the Holly Bush it was from the Royal Oak at Kingsbury. Same procedure, two or three times a week depending on how thirsty the old man was. Then there was the shopping trips for food to Kingsbury and Hurley. Then, in 1946 at the age of ten, I was allowed to catch the bus to Tamworth to spend some pocket money, I'd earnt. The bus fare from Hurley Lane to Tamworth was very expensive at a tanner (2.5 pence in todays money) - how much would it be now? In 1947 I was moved to Dosthill, thank God, the school was over the road and the church and shops were nearer. Those were the days......
Comment from Robert Chalkley on Wednesday, 16th May 2012.