I have many happy memories of Baddesley School and School House, and of my aunt, Mrs McColl, a former headmistress. My family moved from Southampton to Wembley Park in 1936, but for part of the war my younger brother and I stayed at the School House.

Mrs Dowding was also my aunt and I was briefly in her class. I well remember her voice, quiet but firm, saying ‘hands together, eyes closed’ before our prayers. In the afternoon, we lined up when she blew the whistle and filed in to stand at our desks. Later, we folded our arms on the desk and laid down our heads for a rest period.... ‘go to sleep, little people’ Mrs Dowding said. At Christmas time, we drew round shaped Christmas puddings, colouring in the currants and holly with special cares. Mrs Dowding then pinned a row of puddings along the back of the classroom, just at eye level. I cannot remember any infant behaving badly in that classroom or when we had drill outside in the small playground.

I was also was briefly in Miss Mitchell's class. She was a kind, sprightly fair young teacher who had the end classroom in the new block, which I can remember being built.

A few days before the War started, I was playing in the front garden of the School House when two men passed by on the other side of the hedge. In a good Hampshire accent, one said to the other “They reckon she will be broke out by Sunday on September 3rd.” I was sent across to the Common to Mrs Dowding's house with a message and when I arrived, the wireless was on. Mr Chamberlain, the Prime Minister, was speaking in grave and seri¬ous tones to tell us that we were at War with Germany. On 14th September it was to be my 10th birthday and a fruit cake had been prepared and alas, a HMI (School Inspector) called to talk with the headmistress and the cake had to be cut prematurely. We were at War.

The coming of the evacuees was a great event and, later, there was much baking of cakes for the visit of their parents. I seem to remember that some cakes were left over and we gave them to a convoy of troops who came slowly by in lorries. I still have vivid memories of some nights in the school shelters when chil¬dren were laid down on the benches to sleep and it was always interesting to eavesdrop on a new world of adult conversation until I was detected by my aunt who commented that ‘little pitch¬ers have big ears’. If the shelter filled up we had to sit up to make room for the newcomers.

Mr Dowding, my uncle, was a special constable and would look into the shelter wearing his tin hat. Brenda Rawlings and George Biggs were at school with me and I also knew Joyce and David Taylor from the farm along Castle Lane, also two girls who lived in the houses on the right, just past the Chester’s bungalow. I used to play ‘Realeaso’ with some of the Chilworth children who had to wait for a bus after school and the only one that I can remember of them is Tony Petty. Brenda Lewis lived next to the School House.