28th February 2008

Dear Valerie,

I read your Findon remembered which has stirred my memory of the time evacuees arrived in Findon.

I was one of the local children who attended the village school in the mornings only.   We thought it was great while it lasted.

A large number of the Vacees as we called them soon returned to London East End not liking village life or just not fitting in.   So we got our school back full time and the remaining Evacuees used the Recreation hut at Washington for their Classroom. 

My mother living in Rose Cottage with four bedrooms had no choice and we had a number of evacuees come and go.  First was a small boy Joe Lewis who my mum soon asked to be placed else where after he cut my brothers head after hitting him on the head with the buckle of a belt.  Then he was found standing outside on the window ledge of an upstairs window with the sash window closed.

We then had Reggie Wilcox and his sister Jose.   He was a big thirteen year old lad.   It was on Rose Cottage bath night that the tin bath of water was placed in the middle of the scullery floor for Reggie and he told to bath himself.

Time passed and my mother knocked on the door Reggie called 'Come in' there he was fully clothed kneeling in the bath with just his short trousers rolled up his thighs.   He informed mother if she wanted him to have a bath she would have to do it.   I think he regretted saying those words after he had been striped and bathed.  Bath nights were never any trouble after that.

During the height of the Blitz we had two mothers who were helpers and their Daughters Doris Nichols and Brenda Uncle at weekends the husbands came to stay overnight to get a good nights sleep.

My mother went to work but also did all the cooking making the rations lat the week.   Some times the husbands would bring items they got on the Black Market to help out.   Once it was some material so the girls and I all had dresses alike made by one of the mothers.   One of the Mothers later made her home in Findon and when the daughter married she became a Land lady of a Public House in Steyning.    Although the other girl returned to London I still correspond with her today.

Reggie and Jose had a cousin Iris Long who was billet with the Blackwells who used to vbisit them at Rose Cottage and later she was billeted with us and has be a life long friend ever since.

To the evacuee girls my mum was known as Mum Weston and their mothers were Mum Uncle and Mum Nichols as we all shard that war time bond.

Hope this will be of interest to you and the first girl friend of Reggie Wilcox.

Your website has really put Findon in the modern day picture for which I congratulate you.

As always, Gladys Lambourne.