The 1940s

A Memory of Fitzwilliam.

I remember going to the local primary school at the top of Second Avenue from the age of 3. Mrs Dobson was head of the Infants School and Mr Perry was head of the Junior School. We slept in the hall in the early days of our school lives; I had a blanket with a rabbit motif on it. I still slept with my thumb in my mouth. In junior school our playing fields were ploughed up for vegetables because of the war years. Mr Perry had a farm in the village and so it was natural enough for him to farm the playing fields when everyone was being asked to 'dig for victory'. During the war we were bombed once - a bomb fell in what were called the Bullfields which were just beyond the school. The story was that some German engineers had worked at the colliery before the war and passed on information to the German High Command. My dad had a tin helmet in case the village was bombed with purpose, but fortunately he never had to use it. I remember sitting in shelters made of brick and concrete just in front of the houses in Newstead Grove on occasions when the sirens went. It is difficult to see what protection they would have offered. We also had underground shelters at school and from time to time put on our gas masks and had practice drills. The humps from the shelters became great places for playing on during play times. I remember the arrival of the Bevin Boys at the mine and how not everyone was too happy about them. There were also a number of child evacuees who came up from London for the duration of the war. They settled in but obviously missed their families. I know I went with my mam and dad to the pit club to see if we had been allocated one, but it turned out that there were more than enough families willing to give them a home. There were great street parties at the end of the war and also at the time of Queen Elizabeth's Coronation. I have followed with interest the fortunes of the 'names' of Fitzwilliam, with whom I had some contact during my time in Fitzwilliam. It was the home of the great Billy Batten, one of the finest rugby league players of all time, of Colin Clift who played for Great Britain, of the Knowles brothers who played for Tottenham and Wolves and of Geoff Boycott. There were musicians who emerged from the local brass band and went on to play with some of the best and for those who passed the 11+ a new world opened when they travelled to Hemsworth Grammar School. With best wishes to many more whom I could have mentioned and to those who remember me.
From Terry Dillon

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