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I was one of those evacuees from Ashford. I was at that time just starting my career at Ashford Grammar School and was a very nervous first former. In fact I have very special cause to remember the time, for we were billeted on my birthday, September 13th 1940.

We arrived in Witney on the night of the 12th later than expected, as the train carrying us had been considerably delayed during its journey. We were told later that Ashford Station had been bombed a few minutes after our train had left and we were further delayed at Reading, for what seemed like hours.

We were able to recognise Reading because of the biscuit factories that were by the side of the railway line. It was apparently considered too late to billet us on the night of our arrival and so after a meal, in what I think was a hall attached to the Methodist Church in the High Street, we were led away to queue up outside the cinema. As the audience came out at around 10.30 p.m. we were ushered in. I've since fallen asleep many times during disappointing films, but this is the only time I've intentionally gone to a cinema to sleep; as I'm sure you can imagine not a lot of sleep was had by 150 nervously excited young school boys. My overwhelming memory of that night is coming out into the bright light the next morning and being met by the powerful and all pervading smell from the brewery which was somewhere near the cinema. The smell of the malt had a disastrous effect on many stomachs and we were promptly sick. A fine way to start a birthday.

After a makeshift breakfast - for the reception committee had not expected to cater for breakfast as well as an evening meal - we were taken to the people who had so kindly agreed to take us in.

My host lived up on what I think was Woodstock Green. It was a large house directly fronting on to the road, on the right hand side, at the top of the hill, as you leave Witney. Recollections of my host are very vague as we saw very little of him. I seem to remember he appeared to us as incredibly old and not very keen on little boys disturbing his peace and tranquility. He was I seem to remember a Mr. S…., who, we were led to believe had retired from teaching, having at some time been the Headmaster of Witney Grammar School. His household was run by his daughter or daughter-in-law who had also been a Head Teacher but who had given it up to look after the old man.

For a young lad from a small house in Ashford it was a bewildering experience. The house seemed then to my very inexperienced eyes to be so very big with so many rooms that I could easily get lost - and the luxury of an indoor toilet and a bathroom! As for the garden - it was another world and was the apple of Mr. S…'s eye. Lawns were to be looked at - not for little boys to play football on. The garden was completely walled, with large lawns and a rose garden. It seemed to me that it grew everything and was my introduction to what were then exotic fruit and fresh vegetables, many unknown to me until then, like asparagus, peaches and figs.

The pupils from Ashford were to share the same premises as those from Witney, but it apparently was decided we were not compatible and Ashford went to school in the morning whilst Witney attended in the afternoons. In fact I have no memories at all of any children from Witney and as far as I can remember there was very little inter-school contact. Half-time schooling meant each group had considerable homework and living in a house with two ex-Head Teachers, I was given little opportunity to opt out of that. In fact I worked harder at school work during my year at Witney than in any other year of my school career.

Memories of actual classrooms time at Witney are very vague but I do remember being introduced to lardie cakes by our Art Master, a Mr. D…. He would detail a couple of us juniors to go out to a little bakery somewhere near the school, to get a supply on those days when he was on playground duty for the morning break. Mr. D… was also Capt. D…. of the School Cadet Corps., which had been in existence for many years before the war. At the outbreak of war, all the weapons held by the Corps had been surrendered, but in Witney, Capt. D… had somehow obtained about twenty flint lock muskets with which we were able to practise arms drill and marching. It must have been a most incongruous and amusing sight - a collection of half-pint schoolboys trying to control these long-heavy weapons half as tall again as most of the boys. It must say something for the unusual times that those were, that these museum pieces were allowed into such inexperienced hands. I didn't stay in the Cadets for long as the Scout Troop run in the School by Mr. S….. and Mr. D…. seemed to offer much more adventurous activities. I remember the Scout Troop starting what was to become a tradition of yearly pantomimes at Witney. The summer of ‘41 was I think a glorious one - at least I can only remember fine sunny days - learning to swim in an open air swimming pool and searching for some poor soul's false teeth lost when he dived in - hunting for freshwater crayfish which then abounded in certain parts of the River Windrush.

Towards the end of the summer term, I contracted Scarlet Fever and was rushed by ambulance to an Isolation Hospital at Abingdon, never to return to Witney as a schoolboy. After six weeks in the Hospital I was escorted home by Mr. S….., who had remained in Witney after the end of the summer term when most of the Ashford boys had returned home, so that he could regularly visit me and be at least one known and friendly face a bewildered and frightened lonely lad.

This act made a great impression on me even then and was the start of a lasting friendship between my family and 'Chug' S….. until his death in a road accident some years ago. 'Chug' was billeted in a large house on the other side of Woodstock Green to that where I was staying. I have a vague idea that his host was a Lady 'something'. Incidentally, of the other staff I have mentioned - Mr. D……. joined the R.A.F. and was I believe killed in action - Bill D…… returned to Ashford where he continued to teach Art until his retirement to South Africa.

My memories of Witney town are very vague - I remember a mill alongside the road at the bottom of the hill dawn from what I believe was Woodstock Green - I remember the Methodist Church on the road into Witney (was it the High Street?) - the large green in front of the imposing Church — the cinema and brewery which seemed to be near the Buttercross, and I seem to vaguely remember that the entrance to the Grammar School was along a wide tree lined avenue.

As to myself - like most pupils from Ashford, I did not return to Witney at the end of the ‘41 summer holidays; choosing instead to stay in Ashford. Having completed my education at the Grammar School I trained as a teacher after service in the Army. I'm now a retired teacher having finished my career at the school at which I started as a five year old.

T.R. Stevenson
Willesborough, Ashford, Kent, TN24 OHL. 1.3.89

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