Evacuee

A Memory of Oldham.

I was evacuated to Oldham in the early 1940s when London was getting blitzed and was taken in by Sarah and Levi Allen of 8 Bell Street, what a lovely couple. Just a one up one down on the corner of Blanche Street so they had the top and I had the bottom, and there was a beautiful Golden Retriever as well, we all got along famously. The outhouse was around the corner to Blanche Street,under the arch which led to the rear of 8 and 10 Bell Street to three outhouses that served 8 and 10 Bell Street and 1 Blanche Street, it was all cobblestones and clogs those days so there were some nervous times for a young vaccy on a dark night.

I still remember my buddies, Roy Scargill from 10 Bell Street, Roy Benson from 7 Blanche Street, Anne Standrin from 3 Blanche Street and the Finnerties down a block on Spencer Street, they used to give me their copies of the 'Dandy' and 'Beano' when they had finished with them. I used to go down to the pub on Spencer Street to get a jug of beer for Mr and Mrs Allen and also for Mrs Murphy who lived at 1 Blanche Street, an older lady who always reminded me of the witch in 'The Wizard of Oz', I think that contributed to my fears when using the outhouse, especially when hearing the clogs on the cobblestones when shut up in your little box.

There was a fish shop up a block on the High Street where I used to pick up a couple of servings of tripe for the Allens and of course fish and chips and mushy peas for myself, I just hated tripe. School was on the far side of the High Street and up a couple of blocks and if you kept going you would eventually hit the Moors or Downs whatever they were called. The 'Blue Coat' School in the opposite direction with the high black block wall was on the corner of the street where myself and my mates used to go to get our favourite ice cream.

Those were very dark days of course for everyone in Britain but I have such fond memories of the people who cared for myself and others. One such instance was when my brother who was on leave from the Royal Artillery, upon visiting me and arriving late one night went into the afore mentioned pub to enquire as to the Allen's residence, he was told it was too late to wake them and some kindly couple took him home, fed him, put him up for the night and brought him around the next morning.

Levi used to work in the mill, Sarah was a homemaker, they were such wonderful people whe treated me as their own, lovely memories.

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