Graham Middleton tells the story of his Mother’s evacuation to Shrewsbury
Resource Type: Audio | Posted on 2nd October 2014 by Jenny Porter
Graham’s mother was born in Mill Road maternity hospital and grew up in 19 Chatsworth Street. She was evacuated during the war to Shrewsbury along with her brother. They couldn’t live together because they weren’t allowed to sleep in the same bed. His Mother ended up living with a prostitute. She ran away and she ended up with someone who had read the bible fives times! Eventually she ran away back to Chatsworth Street to be with her own family.
Interviewee: Graham Middleton
Interviewee Gender: Male
Date of Interview: 14th August 2014
Interview Transcript
Graham: My mum, she was born actually around Mill Road Maternity hospital, I think. But she came to live here, I’d say round about, they lived in No 19 Chatsworth Street and then, with the War, the begin of the War, they were evacuated, her and my uncle and they were evacuated to Shrewsbury. And because they were brother and sister, she was eldest he was only about four or five, he was only little, it was difficult. For people taking in evacuees, they either wanted two girls, or two boys, ‘cause they could sleep in the same bed. But, they were reluctant to take a boy and a girl, because, well they would say they couldn’t sleep together.
So, he went with one family and she went with another, so they were separated when they got to Shrewsbury. The first person she was with, I don’t know the names of these people, the first person she was with, turned out to be a woman with ill repute and thought it a jolly good idea to put make-up on my mum and maybe who knows what the next state might have been. She was not too salubrious and my mum ran away from there. And she ended up with another lady who was quite the opposite. Who in fact, had read the Bible four times and was on the fifth time of reading it. So, from the sublime to the ridiculous, or the ridiculous to the sublime. And, but eventually she would came home and she was only about twelve or thirteen and she ran away, came back here to Chatsworth Street, because she wanted to be with her mum and, well particularly with her dad – she was very close to her dad.
Categorised under: The War
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