Wartime Evacuee

A Memory of Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen.

I lived with a lovely Welsh family in a cottage, on the road down to the viaduct, I have forgotten the road name.
The Gwaun-cae- Gurwen Juniors School was nearby; I attended that school ,my foster sister Esther Mary Davies also went there, a year or two later below my age in classes.
What great memories of kind people, great teachers, young friends, but I was taken back to London,E17, to attend the County High School,as I had sat and passed my Essex scholarship exam(taken in the headmistress's room) Miss Evans.(Tan-y-Wrallt) .What a good education I had there. I was so lucky.
I soon spoke Welsh and was well educated in written Welsh after two years there.
We kids used to play on the viaduct all day long or across the railway crossing onto the Common.
I am now 85 years old but have never forgotten the kindness and love that was given to me there in those war years. My foster parents were Mr Johnny Davies and Minnie Davies his wife.
I did revisit there when I was 15 , but as my long and happy career as a Technical Draughts-woman
and later many London contracts in Technical Engineering and later Architectural
Design were always ongoing so I was never able to go back to the Waun. I now live in Westward Ho!,in North Devon; I married a Welshman; Fleet Air Arm, .we live near the sea and we are facing Swansea (lived in Ascot Berks. for many years too.)
I have never forgotten the Welsh village
I have a son,Peter Ellis, in Cumbria; and three step daughters, Bronwen, Rachel and Helen in Hampshire.,and many grandchildren....................................
So many memories,so long a life.............Madge Bassett (nee Palmer),Mrs.