That could almost be my Dad's family - they were Londoners and although dad was too young (born Oct 1939) his older brother was evacuated for a time - though he ran away back home again!
Thanks Phil.
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| The Chalet School and the Evacuees updated 21/1/08 http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3759 |
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| Author: | Phil [ Mon Dec 17, 2007 1:10 am ] |
| Post subject: | The Chalet School and the Evacuees updated 21/1/08 |
"This can't go on! They've got to 'ave a better life!" "I don't want them to go Mum! This is their 'ome" "Do you think I want to see me own grandchildren wind up dead after one of these flamin' bombings?" The mother desperately tried not to break down. High above the air raid shelter, the crashes and thuds of the bombs were heard. Families shook as each blow rained down upon the heart of London, each attack strengthening the resolve against Hitler. Meanwhile at the other end of the country, a school slept in comparative safety from the merciless slaughter being inflicted upon Londoners. |
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| Author: | Liane [ Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:03 am ] |
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Oooh I like the look of this. Thanks Phil. |
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| Author: | JustJen [ Mon Dec 17, 2007 3:22 am ] |
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Phil this looks interesting... |
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| Author: | Fiona Mc [ Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:29 am ] |
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I wonder if these evacuees will end up at the Chalet School or come in contact at a party of something. Thanks Phil |
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| Author: | Lesley [ Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:18 am ] |
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That could almost be my Dad's family - they were Londoners and although dad was too young (born Oct 1939) his older brother was evacuated for a time - though he ran away back home again!
Thanks Phil. |
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| Author: | Jennie [ Mon Dec 17, 2007 3:28 pm ] |
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Interesting, Phil. Thanks. |
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| Author: | leahbelle [ Mon Dec 17, 2007 6:13 pm ] |
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This looks good, Phil. Thanks. |
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| Author: | Tara [ Tue Dec 18, 2007 12:52 am ] |
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Very interesting idea. Eager for more! |
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| Author: | Miss Di [ Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:47 am ] |
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I look forward to more of this Phil. |
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| Author: | Phil [ Sat Dec 22, 2007 6:55 pm ] |
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"What's wrong Hilda? Is it that whole business with Betty? You did the right thing!" "I know, but it is by no means an easy task, expelling a pupil. Mademoiselle had to perform that action with Thekla and I pray to God I shall never have to do that again. Never!" Joey knew she had touched a raw nerve. Gently she said, "Well Betty made her bed and she must lie in it. As you so rightly said, let us hope she can learn from her terrible mistakes." Hilda breathed out. "A teacher feels a failure once they expel a child. We all realise we are only human after all and you cannot help everybody no matter how hard you try. I must look to the future. There is still this terrible war." "I hear some children are being billeted in the area." Hilda nodded. "Mostly babies and juniors." "We'll offer to help them Hilda, won't we?" "Of course Joey! Of course!" "There's one other thing. I had a letter from Evvy Lannis." Hilda's eyes glinted; Evvy was a shining light in the annals of the Chalet School. What had the naughty but nice little American written about? "Her fiance, has been shot down over Africa. He was on attachment to the RAF. Poor Evvy, and when I think of how lucky I am that Jack has been returned to me..." Hilda embraced Joey. Both were thinking how they had never known Evvy cry, except maybe when she received a thoroughly deserved punishment. They had always known her as their bouncy naughty Evvy, now she was a heartbroken girl and with her being in America, she did not even have the love and comfort of the Chalet School. "Let's write to her. Send her our love. Poor Evvy. How long had she known him?" "When they were little children at first, they always wrote to each other whilst they were at boarding school and their parents were working in different places in the world. Funny how she never mentioned him at school." "She had every right to some privacy Joey." "Yes of course, Their fathers knew each other, same business. I just wish she had told us about him! I believe they met up in the States when Evvy and her family returned." Hilda focussed on the letter she would be sending Evvy. She also wondered about those poor evacuees. |
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| Author: | PaulineS [ Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:37 pm ] |
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Good to have more of this. Thanks |
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| Author: | Alison H [ Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:41 pm ] |
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I hope Joey and Madge are going to take in some evacuees - their lack of contribution to the war effort always seemed very out of character to me, especially in Madge's case. Thanks Phil. |
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| Author: | Phil [ Sun Jan 06, 2008 2:57 am ] |
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The die was cast. Many of the great London railway stations were packed with swarms of children. Steam engines screeched and spewed swathes of water vapour. Paddington was packed, St Pancras was stuffed, King's Cross was keeling over with a children's crusade of London's young. Each child was an individual. Each had their own suitcase, containing their life and identity, each had their own gas mask. Some had brothers and or sisters, some had none. Childish bravado melted away with many as they were packed into carriages to wave goodbye to their parents. Those who scorned emotion still had deep feelings about this enforced separation, but they bottled these feelings up. Young Alfie was relieved nobody from his street or school was in his train. Where was he going? Armishire? It sounded a weird sort of place. He played with the address label on his suitcase. A big girl with piercing eyes burst into his compartment. "Someone sitting here?" Alfie shook his head. The girl just stared at him. Lucy loved to know about people. She was a very curious young lady and had unfortunately acquired the nickname "Nosy Parker". This weedy looking boy didn't seem particularly special, but Lucy wanted a talk and when she wanted a talk, she got one! Lucy had been told to "Belt up" or "Shove off" by other children in the train and had been told in no uncertain terms to leave the adults alone. Here was someone who would be a captive audience. "What's your Dad doing?" Alfie started nervously. Lucy rolled her eyes! "Army? Navy? RAF?" "He works in...police...well...prisons." "Oh!" Lucy hadn't met anybody who worked in the prisons. Alfie hoped desperately that this big girl would not find out what his Dad was really in prison for. Why didn't she just go away? Why did she have to pick on him? Lucy wanted to know more! Meanwhile in Pentonville prison, prisoner JJ7689 Arthur Holland was standing before a martial board explaining why he objected to killing people. AT the back of his mind was his wife and child. |
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| Author: | Fiona Mc [ Sun Jan 06, 2008 12:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Thanks for the update Phil. I can understand why madge didn't take on more she did have extra kids all the time and Josette did nearly die during the War |
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| Author: | Jennie [ Sun Jan 06, 2008 3:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I think Madge had a house full, but I do sometimes wonder if Jo had Peggy, Daisy and the others to live with her so she didn't have to take in evacuees. And she was pleased to take the MacDonald girls to save her from having to take in city children. |
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| Author: | Honor [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:23 pm ] |
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Thanks Phil - am enjoying this. My grandmother took in evacuees during the war and she always said how hard it was for these kids. |
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| Author: | Phil [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:59 pm ] |
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Lucy had turned her nose up at Archie. Clearly thinking the boy was a waste of space with his monosyllabic replies and stiff manner (which she deigned to perceive as arrogance on Archie's part) Lucy had flounced into a carriage where some gregarious boys were engaged in verbal duelling with some equally gregarious girls. Archie for his part, breathed a sigh of relief. He wondered if the Gestapo were as bad as that dreadful girl? Why was she so nosey? Why did she want to know every detail of his life? It was none of her business! Who did she think she was? Archie flushed with embarrassment and frustration that he had not been assertive and told Lucy that he wanted to be on his own, for his own reasons. On reaching Armiford, the evacuees disembarked, to be met by a thin, weasly little man and a woman who was in every measurement as large as the steam engine they had arrived on! The good lady even had a voice to match that of a steam engine's whistle and she had eyes like a hawk. "Children! I am Miss Eminides. I am in charge of billeting you with your families. Now let's a do a quick luggage and papers check! Mr Jolly, if you please!" The gorgon had bellowed and the weasel man, Mr Jolly limped forth. Mr Jolly hated children. He hated men, he hated women, he hated animals and plants and he even hated himself. The children edged backwards as he held out a bony hand to look at health certificates and so forth. Even Lucy wrinkled her nose as he passed her by. It was then that Archie's suitcase decided to burst, much to the amusement of the assembled evacuees and much to poor Archie's embarrassment. The gorgon was on him in a flash. "And why didn't your mother pack this case properly? I'll warrant you were playing with it on the train!" To make his humiliation worse, Lucy the "ever helpful" but bossy, confident young madam strode forward with maternal reproaches to help Archie repack his case. This was too much. "I can manage thank you!" Archie snapped. "How dare you, refuse help when you so obviously need it, you impertinent little wretch!" The gorgon practically took the station roof off with her vocal chords. She was a great believer in the stupidity and incompetence of little boys and the sheer perfection of girls. Mr Jolly decided to take off for a cigarette, but Miss Eminides had eyes in the back of her head. "Mr Jolly! Come back here at once and do help this wretched boy here! Mr Jolly! If you do not return at once I shall report you to the authorities!" Like a well trained but recalcitrant puppy, Mr Jolly returned and helped Archie with his case in an exceedingly bad temper. As he shoved Archie's belongings in, he secretly dreamed he was wringing the neck of that sanctimonious, abrasive do-gooder whom nobody had a kind word for despite that lady's charitable works in the community. Frustrated and humiliated, Archie also had to endure the indignity of being the last evacuee to be found a home. The were two splendid palaces of houses and Archie dreamed he could stay at them. At a round looking house, a very pretty lady with black curly hair and fair complexion was explaining to the fuming Miss Eminides that she could not take the poor lad a she had all her rooms full with her nephews, nieces and her own children including a toddler. The lady gave Archie a winning smile that seemed to say, "Don't give up hope!" The smile disappeared when Miss Eminides questioned the veracity of the lady's statement and suggested she could be doing a lot more to help the war effort if the lady was a Christian. At this comment, the Lady being dignified and as cold as ice and announced her self as "Lady Russell" who would be putting in a complaint against Miss Eminides and that her own husband Sir James was in charge of a busy Sanatorium, helping the war wounded. Mr Jolly sniggered at Miss Eminides' discomfiture and so did Archie. Luckily both escaped the wrath of the gorgon. The lady in the next "palace" seemed to have been forewarned of Miss Eminides. She was tall and had long straight black hair and a mischievous glint in her eye. She carried a baby boy in a Moses basket and three little girls attended her. Beside her were two Scottish girls and two more slightly older girls named Daisy and Robin. The lady was all charm and showed Miss Eminides around the house to prove that all the rooms were taken and that she did not even have a coal hole available. This was sad news for Archie who had a liking for the woman and her covert impertinence to the gorgon. He trudged sadly away. If only he knew that Joey took no pleasure in turning away the unhappy boy. At the next house, an almighty row broke out when the man and woman, who had plenty of room refused to take a strange child into their home, war or no war. Miss Eminides was able to vent her spleen on the couple and called a policeman; Refusing to take in an evacuee without good reason was a criminal offence! |
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| Author: | Liane [ Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:15 am ] |
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Poor Archie 
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| Author: | Fiona Mc [ Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:23 am ] |
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Poor Archie. What about Phoebe Peters? She was there at that stage especially if Steven was born |
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| Author: | Jennie [ Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:06 pm ] |
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Poor Archie! |
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| Author: | leahbelle [ Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:14 pm ] |
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Poor Archie! Thanks, Phil. |
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| Author: | Phil [ Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:48 am ] |
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At dusk, a place was found for young Archie at an imposing building called "The Dragon House". At once, Archie was scared. At his school he had heard stories of dragons. Did they really exist? He wondered. Sir Ambrose Gellibrand, Uncle to Jesanne, was a funny little man with a slight stoop. He and his housekeeper had taken in plenty of evacuees, some were still there, whilst others had moved around the country. Jesanne answered the door and took an instant liking to the white faced skinny child before her. Miss Eminides scarcely had a chance to open her mouth before Miss Jesanne had said, "We'll take him!" "Well!" expostulated Miss Eminides, not knowing whether to be pleased or insulted. Sir Ambrose rolled towards his niece and the newcomer. "Ah another one! A boy this time! Well sonny, what part of London do you come from?" Relieved that somebody here seemed to know what London was, Archie's face lit up with a smile. "Bethnal Green, sir!" A swathe of youngsters flowed from one of the many rooms ahead. "Bethnal Green? I live near there!" "Do you know Mile End?" "Have you been to Leyton?" "What football team do you support?" Sir Ambrose laughed. "Time for all that later! Jesanne must return to school!" In what seemed to Archie a whirlwind of activity, His case was dumped in a room he shared with the only other boy in the house and he was bustled into a car driven by the elderly Sir AMbrose. Archie was squashed into the back with his fellow evacuees, whilst Jesanne was in the front passenger seat. Archie thought how he must be living with a millionaire! His father did not own a car, they lived in a terraced house and there was no big garden. Here there was real green grass, miles and miles of it! As Jesanne got out at a very large house, which Archie understood was a girls' school, he decided to stretch his legs and get out too. He wamdered around the grounds, exploring further and further until he heard the car engine! Shocked he tried to run back to where he thought the car was. He got lost. He was lost in a girls' school and then came the sound of an owl, something he had not heard before! |
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| Author: | Torri [ Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:55 am ] |
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Yay for Sir Ambrose and Jesanne taking poor Archie in! And at least if he has to get lost at a girl's school, the Chalet School is probably the best!! 
Thanks, Phil. |
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| Author: | Fiona Mc [ Sat Jan 12, 2008 5:49 am ] |
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Glad Jesanne is taking him in. Poor Archie getting lost in an all girl school. He's not having a good day |
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| Author: | Phil [ Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:47 am ] |
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Archie panicked. He tried to cry out but he couldn't. The sound of the owl got louder and louder. It swooped overhead and at last he let out a piercing cry. Peggy Bettany was seeing to her prep. She had been inundated with requests from Bride for a spare ruler, then a spare pencil, then a spare compass and every other piece of school equipment until the normally placid Peggy had chased her little sister away with a growl reminiscent of a tiger. She was not pleased when she glanced out of the window to see Bride skipping across the garden with Primula! Peggy's face blackened. What on Earth was Bride playing at? And why was she taking Primula with her? Uncle Jem would be very cross if Bride was having a bad influence upon her. "Bride Bettany what in goodness' name do you think you are doing? Don't you realise the prees will skin you alive for this?" "Oh no it's Peggy!" "Who is that with you?" "Primula" "And?" "And who?" "Er...nobody Peg." "I can see somebody else there" Archie could barely stammer his name. "But...but..you're a boy!" Bride and Primula broke into laughter. "Told you she was bright as a button, Archie!" Even Archie had to smile at this. "He's an evacuee Peggy! I heard a cry and Bride and me came out to investigate!" Then the distant sound of sirens was heard. Archie did not know where the shelters were. "Air raid! We get them in London! I didn't know you got them here! I was sent to get away from air raids and bombing!" he shrieked. "Come with us!" Peggy grabbed his arm and hauled him inside. Girls were marshalled into strict columns towards the relevant shelters and poor Archie was overwhelmed by the legions of girlhood advancing upon him. Those who noticed him gave him some funny looks and some tried to stop to talk. It was seconds before somebody in authority arrived. It was Matey. Matey was a dear, but she could take the skin off anybody if she liked. Archie had a morbid fear of hospitals and when he saw the wiry determined figure of Matey in nurse's uniform bearing down upon him with a grim and forbidding expression, he fled. Matey meant the boy no harm and she could see he was an evacuee. However, the moment she saw him, she was concerned whether he was carrying any diseases which may be passed to the girls. Archie did not get far and his heart missed a beat as he fell into a crowd of girls who promptly caught him and held him prisoner. A couple of girls giggled at his misfortune, but Matey silenced them with a glare. "Oh Matey! He's an evacuee! He got lost and he was in the grounds and we didn't know the air raid was going to happen and..." "Never mind! You'd best come with us young man. Now what's your name?" Matey was oddly reassuring for Archie. As they made way for the shelter, she extracted information about his health and who he was staying with. it was then that they met Jesanne. "Archie! What are you doing here? Didn't Uncle take you back home? Come and sit with me! Oh Matey, I know this boy! My Uncle has his health certificate at home. He's from Bethnal Green!" Archie clung to Jesanne like a limpet, but was worried when Jesanne announced the arrival of the Headmistress. Archie was astonished to see a young looking woman with white hair and bright eyes enter the shelter. Matey had a quick word with her and she flashed a winning smile at the new arrival, before uttering some sarcastic comments to some feckless, giggling middles. Archie compared this woman to his own Headmistress, a gorgon by the name of Miss Rhoda Green. Archie always thought school was cruel and had a dislike of Miss Green and her reliance on dunce's hats and the cane. This lady, Miss Wilson seemed awfully nice and cajoled Archie into joining in the singing whilst the air raid went on. Why, wondered Archie did girls have all the luck with their nice schools? Archie discovered a talent for singing and remembered words to musicals his mother had taught him. It was some hours before the raid was over and the all clear given. By then Archie was very tired and spent the night in the San, whilst an anxious Sir Ambrose was informed of Archie's whereabouts. |
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| Author: | PaulineS [ Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:43 pm ] |
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Poor Archie he leaves London to get away from the air raids and promptly experiences one. Glad Matey and Mis Wilson are reassuring to him. |
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| Author: | leahbelle [ Mon Jan 21, 2008 6:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Glad he was looked after. |
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| Author: | linda [ Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:15 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Poor Archie!! 
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| Author: | Miss Di [ Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:21 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I've always wondered why Joey couldn't take any evacuees when all those children are at boarding school during the week - and no reason they couldn't share a bedroom on the weekends. Poor Archie, but funny to see the Dragon House so full of people! |
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