John Glyn - Memories of a London Evacuee

When stories of the evacuation of children during WW2 are told,they are usually of the early days of the war. I was 6 in 1940 and was evacuated to Newquay, Cornwall for 2 years until the bombing in London stopped. Upon my return I was able to continue my full time education.

However, in June 1944 the first V1's (Doodlebugs ) started to hit London and once again my parents thought it safer for me to be sent away to the country. I was one of a group of children who were evacuated from Wood Green, North London and at the age of 10 found myself in Knaresborough. I remember arriving at the Secondary Modern School in Stockwell Road and standing in a line awaiting allocation to my new "foster parents".I was so fortunate to be billeted with a maiden lady Miss Snowdon and her two brothers ,Harold and Arthur who lived in Cragg Lane overlooking the quarry. They were the kindest people you could possibly meet and they taught me so much in the months that I stayed with them. I didn't realize at the time that they were in their 60's, so imagine how they must have felt to have the responsibility of a young 10 year old boy thrust upon them. I kept in touch with them after the war, Auntie Katie being the last to die just before her 101st birthday and I am so pleased that she met my wife and our young daughter.

I went to Castle Yard Junior school my form teacher being Mr Percy Todd who was a fanatical Yorkshire cricket team supporter before the war and related tales of his favourite bowler - Bill Bowles. Among my classmates were Billy Peacock, Cyril Ledgeway, Albert Ibbotson, Clive Watson, Derek Hill, Neil Dodson, J.Thompson, Donald Holdsworth and Keith Walker .Our classroom was not in the main building but across the yard playground. As a class we used to "dig for victory" in the school allotment at the top of Stockdale Walk and go potato picking at a local farm.

During the winter of 1944 the weather was very cold and we were able to make ice slides in the school playground. The River Nidd was frozen over so we were able to walk and slide on that, we also tobboganned down the field opposite Conyngham Hall, usually ending up on the frozen river.

Earlier in the Summer I enjoyed punting, canoeing and rowing on the river and after school made extra pocket money by helping out at the boathouse beside High Bridge. Competent punters were able to punt upsteam through the "Shallows" to the "Pool".

Below Low Bridge we boys fished for tiddlers with dimpled bottom wine bottles. We corked the bottle, knocked a hole in the bottom and inserted pieces of bread as bait .We then tied a length of string to the neck held this and threw the bottle into the river. The fish would swim into the bottle but could not escape because they kept to the side and could not get out of the hole in the bottom easily. I also recall fishing with a rod, string and bent pin.

Waterside (below the castle) was very busy in the Spring onwards with visitors buying postcards, iceceam, trips on boats and having their photographs taken by the riverside photographer .He used a camera that developed the snap in a small rubber pouch under the camera whilst you waited, the print was sepia coloured but I don't know how it was printed.

Also, down river past the rapids, were sheepskin tanneries with skins drying outside-the smell was dreadful. Further down river near Low Bridge I was able to visit Mother Shipton's cave and the Dropping Well to view the items petrified by the water. Further on was the House in the Rock and St Robert's Chapel which I was able to climb past on a footpath which led to Cragg Top and on to my home in Cragg Lane.

Other memories I have are of getting my haircut with non-electric clippers at the barbers in High Street (one penny ) and visiting the Cinema off the High Street (3 or 6 pence )The films were advertised in the window of a furniture shop in High Street the programmes being changed once a week. Films such as The Desert Song gave we boys the chance to become either French Foreign Legionnaires or Riffs in the Castle grounds.

Sweets were rationed so we bought cinnamon and liquorice sticks from the Olde Chemist Shop in Market Square.

We never swam in the river but took a bus to the Starbeck salt water baths. Because of the petrol shortage the single decker buses ran on gas contained in a balloon on the roof or in a container towed behind.

We travelled to Harrogate for the cinema ,to shop or as special treat to have tea at "Bettys Tea Shop".

At Easter we painted hard boiled eggs and rolled them down slopes. At Halloween we hollowed out and carved faces in turnips then placed and lit a candle in each. We also played pranks such as knock down ginger. "Knock down ginger" was the game we played on unsuspecting householders on and around Halloween.We would either knock on their front doors and run away or would tie a piece of cotton to the knocker and pull it to knock on the door; being dark, because of the blackout we could do this more than once as the householder would not see the cotton. Simple pleasures and a little different to nowadays!!

Whilst living in Cragg Lane I attended Holy Trinity Church where I was a choir boy and one of my friends was J Shipley, an excellent artist at such a young age. From Stockdale Walk my friends were Terry Danby (who made model airplanes) R. Keith, I. Lund, M. Mainman and Peter Allen or was it Alan Peters? We played many a game on our bicycles pretending to be fighter planes in our named squadrons.

In Windsor Lane leading to Stockdale Walk was a small hall, either for The Boys Brigade or Scouts and they had a bugle band It was great to watch them marching on special days.

June 6th was D-Day and although I was too young to understand the significance of it, it did mean that there were many American G.I's in and around Knaresborough after that date. Their cars were parked in the Square - Buicks, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles , Packards etc. We boys used to pester the soldiers for sweets (got any gum chum) and it must be said we were not often disappointed. There were American army hospitals near Harrogate, also Royal Air Force wounded were to be seen around the town in their light blue uniforms with white shirts and red ties.

Just before V.E day a funfair came to a field (now Stockdale Close ) off Stockdale Walk .I withdrew all my savings from The Yorkshire Penny Bank and after enjoying the dodgem cars etc. had just enough to buy my first fireworks in Harrogate - I remember queuing for over an hour to buy two rockets (we were still being rationed).

The Marquis of Granby public house in York Place (opposite the new swimming pool built after the war) was lit up in neon lights, there being no need for a "blackout " The gas street lamps were also renovated and lit so brightening up the streets for the first time for five years.

My main memory is of being happy and well cared for , even though I was separated from my parents . I was one of the lucky ones and the lessons I learnt have held me in good stead for the last 60 years.