ULLENHALL SCHOOL DURING WORLD WAR II

My sister and I were evacuated to our Grandparents, who lived at Greenacres (between Henley & Ullenhall) at the outbreak of war.

I must have started at the beginning of the Autumn Term, I suppose, as I was already at school in Birmingham.

There were two classes. Mrs Barrett had the younger children in the small room at the front of the building, and Mrs Friend taught all the rest of us in the big room/hall – she was the Head, and really lived up to her name, but stood no nonsense!

I didn’t realise/remember that the evacuees came from two schools. Those details didn’t interest children I suppose, but I do remember the village boys fought them from time to time, after school.

We had lessons at school in the mornings one week, and went down to the Village Hall in the afternoons for art, knitting, music & country dancing etc, and the evacuees did the reverse, then we swopped over the next week, they were at school in the mornings.

I’m sorry I’ve no idea how long this went on, it didn’t seem long to us, but I can imagine how long it was for the teachers – having been one all my working life.

They really were extremely happy days, and we were very well taught. I passed my Birmingham 11 plus exam from there, and learnt so much about the countryside on our nature walks.

I do remember going over to the cellar of the pub when the siren went, but later we were spread round the different homes in the village and were meant to run back to school as soon as the all clear sounded.

I’m sorry I can’t remember more details, but 60 years is a long time ago.

When I drove slowly past school, two years ago, I was very sorry to see that it was no longer a school.

Ann Munden

June 2000

10/2018