Wartime Evacuee 1939 1940

A Memory of Caton.

In August 1939 I was evacuated frm Salford to Caton. I had my gas mask, a small parcel of food and a label on my clothing. We arrived at the then beautiful station, adorned with flowers. Then we walked to the Village Institute, where villagers were waiting for us and to choose their evacuees. I was lucky to be chosen by a lovely old couple, George and Mary Thexton, who then lived at 4 Gable Houses, now renumbered. They were very kind to me and I enjoyed every moment living with them. George worked at the cotton mill where I used to help, cleaning machines, haymaking, looking after Dobbin the horse and feeding the many ducks on the mill pont. I went to Brookhouse School but the evacuees only went for half days so the village children could go on the other half days. I walked over the hill in all sorts of weather. I remember that awful winter when the snow came as high as the bedroom windows. I remember the River Lune full of salmon. I remember Lord Haw-Haw on the radio saying '"We know where you are". I remember the land mine being dropped on Hornby. I went back to Salfrd at Christmas 1940 for a break with my parents, as we arrived in our street the sirens went and suddenly the Blitz started. We ran or shelter and spent hours in terror as the bombs fell and we could feel the heat of the fires. Next day our home was uninhabitable. We moved to Ashton under Lyne which meant I could not go back to Caton. We wrote for a while. I joined the Royal Air Force as a boy and served my country 43 years. I have visited Caton since retiring. It is now busy and noisy, but the memories will last forever of that quaint little village, the station, the lady with her milk float and above all, lovely George and Mary. I wish I knew what happened to them.

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