Wartime Coalville

A Memory of St Austell.

I lived in Coalville in 1940. My father was a Police Inspector and we lived at the Vaughan Street Police station. There were two flats, the other was occupied by Dad's Sergeant. The Court used to sit upstairs in another part of the building. I went to Bridge Road School, starting as an infant. I remember that there was a non-performing fair that was marooned in Coalville at that time - the fair's heavy vehicles had been commandeered by the Army. I remember, too, my father taking custody of parts of a German parachute flare that had come down in the town. Next door to the Police Station was the photographer's shop of Simeon Stacey whose son i used to play with. I remember my father used to get very cross about people who didn't properly observe the wartime blackout regulations. My sister worked at Clutsom and Kemp (?) and she'd bring home offcuts of elastic that were discarded. Happy daze!!