In the mornings we had walks across the Downs which we sometimes had to write about in the afternoons.  It did not take us long to walk to school as we had only to cross the road.  The Headmaster was nicknamed 'Darkie' and he had been my mothers headmaster in her days at the school.

My mother was Mabel Winter (nee Keen).

There was one evacuee boy from London called Reggie Wilcox and he became my first 'boyfriend' - infact he sent me a Valentine card [the only Valentine card I have ever received!]

My grandfather worked at the Downs Stables.  Eventually becoming Head Lad there.  My niece has fond memories of grandfather telling her about the race horses he looked after, including Holy War [who allowed a small child to crawl under his legs one day to retrieve a ball] apparently he was the gentlest of animals.  Unlike 'Manrico' who afforded a great deal of 'respect'.  The artist W. Wadell-Trickett came to the stables in the 1920's to paint his portrait but was unable to go too near and ended up having to take a photograph of him and work from that.  My niece has this painting and also an etching of Holy War left to her by my grandfather.  His career was interrupted by the First War where he served in France [saving his Commanding Officer one day and many horses]. His love of horses has continued through the family with my niece Ann working with horses Carriage Driving and her daughter Elizabeth studying horses at College in South Devon owning her own horse called April.

My mother had 3 brothers - one older brother called William, then Leslie and the youngest was Geoffrey. Geoffrey joined the Air Force before WW2. He was a clever boxer and won cups for this activity whilst in the Air Force. He used to practise in the back garden of 1 Beulah Terrace and had a sack of soot erected from the archway - one day grandfather was walking down the garden path and caught a blow in the face with the sack of soot as Uncle Geoffrey was practising and the result was 2 missing teeth!!
to be continued............