By Sarah Humble
It’s 1941 in the middle of the Second World War and the German Luftwaffe will soon be bombing major UK cities including London. Evelyn and Alan Rudge (aged 11 and 4) live in Islington, North London. Eve attends Hanover School. It is thought too dangerous for children to remain in London and so they are both evacuated to a place called Glinton.
It is the second time Eve has been evacuated there; the first time was with her cousin Roy Saward. Eve is given strict instructions not to allow her little brother out of her sight.
They are dropped off at ‘the Green’ and taken to the village hall. They are the last two children to be billeted. In accordance with her mother’s instructions Eve refuses to be separated from her brother. No one wants two children of different genders as this complicates bedroom arrangements.
Finally, an elderly couple named Posnet agree to take the two children together. The Posnets home is an old white thatched cottage, two-up two-down. A long winding lane leads from the village and it is the last cottage on the left in an area known as the Fens. It is very well cared for. Mrs Posnet is an avid church goer; however, there are rumours that the tall thin Mr Posnet is the village poacher.
Alan attends school with his sister, although he is really too young, but she won’t let him out of her sight. The evacuees are taught separately by a Miss Larkman in the Methodist Hall. It is a mixed age group. Eve’s desk is in the second row back.
The two remain in Glinton until they are taken home by their parents in 1943 to take their chances in the Blitz and dodge the doodle-bugs They manage this successfully.
It’s now Christmas time 2007. Alan – now Sir Alan, has recently reached his three score years and ten and become a proud grandad. He has no recollection of his evacuation and relies entirely on scant memories of his sister (now 77). Eve lives in Australia. In the deluge of Christmas cards he notices that an old friend of his, has by strange coincidence moved to Glinton. There is a flurry of international email and Alan’s first return visit to Glinton in 65years is arranged.
It is the 8th January 2008. It’s cold, windy and misty. I have known Alan for 15 years having been a regular crew member on his 45ft sailing yacht ‘Songline’. For the last five years (and two children later) I don’t get to sail much and so haven’t seen Alan, but we’ve exchanged email and I’ve followed his sailing excursions across the Atlantic and down through the Med. I’ve now become a detective to help piece together the information so far gleaned.
The thatched cottage we decide must be the Old White Cottage on North Fen Road. The current owners (Russ and Becky Compton) kindly allow Alan to have a look inside. Sadly there are no eureka moments. The interior layout of the Cottage has changed and it has been beautifully modernised. With the help of Mr Titman the butcher, we discover that the back part of the Village Hall was the Old Methodist Hall. Mrs Beales allows us to have a look round. Eve has sent a sketch of how she remembers the lay-out and it does seem to fit.
Much to our delight, Mr Titman also remembers Miss Larkman and indeed points out the house in which she lived. We then visit the school and Mr Cunnington could not be more helpful in confirming that indeed it was the children of Islington who were evacuated to Glinton, and that he may be able to photocopy some old school records relating to the period.
Eve writes that she has many memories of Glinton but not an ‘all over’ picture of the village. She has no photos. In those days of course children did not possess cameras and were lucky if their parents owned a ‘box brownie’. She remembers less about her other billet. She can’t remember the families name but recalls the house was much more modern.
It would be wonderful if anyone had any memories of the period, or photos that would help fill in the gaps. If you do please contact me on 01733 252423 or sarah@humblemunson.com
