An Evacuee Visits Rolleston

Jean R from Birmingham wrote to say:

“Recently I paid a visit to your lovely village, a visit to stir my own memories. I was one of those evacuees mentioned that were housed in the village during those dark days of World War Two, my younger sister and I were just two of the many children billeted in the village safe from the terrible bombing raids on our homes in the City of Birmingham.

I was placed in a home on Knowles Hill, an end of terrace house almost opposite to what was in those days a working farmhouse, there still is a drive running up the side of the property to the garages at the rear of the gardens, my sister was billeted at the neighbours house across the drive. In those days there were no houses built around the back, just open fields. This was almost 70 years ago when I was knee high to a Grasshopper.

While my husband and myself were walking around the houses and along the drive I spotted a face at the bedroom window, a face that wondered what we were doing and why. Taking all my courage in both hands, we eventually knocked on the front door to explain our presence, the door opened and we were greeted by a lady who (having heard our story) invited us inside, and shown around the interior for old times sake. We had quite a chat …. I mentioned the old post office that was long since gone, my school had suffered an almost similar fate, now it’s a Social Club, almost unrecognizable as the school I attended. The outside brickwork still showing told the story of the original building, different bricks showing the different extensions. I did go into the Club into what was my old classroom, it hasn’t changed, still the same room with the same windows. This very room doubled as a Dental Surgery when it needed to be. I can still recall all the instruments laid out on a table top when I needed a tooth to be extracted. I received a sixpence for not crying at that time, but being there all those years later almost brought tears back to my eyes.

The old farmhouse has since been renovated, it’s no longer a farm but now a family residence – the playmate who lived there has of course moved on, as I must do. I could add that after three score years and ten the village has not changed too much I’m pleased to say, and thank you for the memories.”

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Last updated: 1 June 2008