Life Stories and Personal Memories > Personalities and Biographies

M.E.R.G.

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castle261:

Smiffy:
Dave Smith,
 
Blimey! One of the few people who could tell Stork from butter!

MartinR:
Not just schools were evacuated.  The residents of Watts' Almshouses were evacuated to Eylesden, a Georgian house in Sutton Valence.

Dave Smith:
castle261. Interesting that you were only in Newington "a short while", before moving to S.Wales- but not "up the valleys" as we did in July 1940. It would be useful for future historians if we knew where all the schools in the Medway towns went, in 1939 & then 1940. I've mentioned mine, Barnsole Road & I know Gillingham County went to Sandwich, followed by Rhymney but what about Napier Road, Woodlands Road,Byron Road,Richmond Road,Marlborough Road, possibly others in Gillingham? Then of course yours at Glencoe Road & many others in Chatham, Rochester, Strood. Can anyone help please? Just one at a time will be fine. A couple of stories from that era. The Duncans with whom I was billeted were a poor family & didn't have butter. At home I always did, so I knew their " butter" was Stork Margarine that my Mum used for cooking but I just couldn't eat it so always had bread & jam. I kept in touch- Christmas cards & the odd letter, plus a couple of visits in 1966/67, right up until the eldest daughter died about 6 years ago; the Mother lasted until she was 97 although the Father went many years before. They never ever heard from Donald who was also billeted with them; not one peep which I thought sad. In Rhymney, my friend said they didn't have a cinema, only a travelling pictures set up in the local hall where, on a Saturday morning they could sit at the front on a mat for 2d. He was billeted with the Parson & they had to learn the 12th psalm in Welsh.

castle261:
My story began in September 1939, I was a week off 12 years old. we all walked from Glencoe Road
School on the White Road Estate Chatham, to the railway station, boarded a steam  train, then to
Gillingham, Rainham, Newington, where we all got out. seven miles from Chatham. My brother & I,
were bilited with an old Barge Master, in Church Lane. We were there only a short time, when we were put on another train, this time to Pontardawe in South Wales. My brother two years older.
went one way, he went to Clydach, so we were four miles apart (`You will never be parted  so the government said ).  I was bilited with a nice homely old lady, with a 13 year old daughter.
After three months she broke her leg, so I had to move. across the road to a married couple with a
son, who worked in a . The father worked as a coal miner. bath night, every night, the father would step into the bath in front of the fire, & made the water all black, when he finished the son stepped
in, & made the water all white.( always remember that ) The lady of the house was a socialite, she was always out, when I came home from school, so I had to wait outside until she returned at 5pm.
I told my mother in a letter, she contacted Mr Semple, he had me moved, to an engine driver & wife
trouble there, they were always rowing, and swearing. Another move, home then, with Mr. Semple.

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