East Grinstead, Dorset Arms Hotel 1914

Photo ref: 66748

I was sick with Chickenpox that Saturday when the bomb fell on the cinema. I stood p to look out of the window to see the smoke.

I was at Aston House school 1943 to 1948 I started writng memoirs for my children Remembered the Miss Holts Anyone else who was there at that time/

In 1950, I started school at Chequer Mead. I had walked there from Copse Close, near Queen Victoria Hospital. We each had a desk and a slate to write on. My big sister was in the ‘big’ school, next door as she was fourteen. I used to stand and watch her play netball at playtimes. Miss Rowe was my favourite teacher and I cried for hours when I had to leave to go to the new Junior school at Blackwell. Lovely lady and great teacher.

As a five year old, and for the next six years, I walked up Blackwell Hollow to go to Chequer Mead school. Sometimes, I was accompanied, but quite often, I went on my own. I lived near Queen Victoria Hospital, so it was quite a walk for a little one. Unbelievable today, but of course, the roads were less busy, and life was much slower.