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Memories of a Ludham Evacuee
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Memories of Rita Woodford (nee
Nightingale)
Rita was
evacuated to Ludham from Elm Park in Essex in 1944
along with her Brother, Lionel and Sister, Diane.
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My sister,
Brother and I were among 20 children evacuated
to Ludham in 1944. We travelled by train
complete with our gas masks in boxes and labels
round our necks. Unusually, our mother came with
us because Lionel was a baby and needed looking
after. We did not know where we were going.
When we got to Ludham we sat on the floor in a
hall and people came to look at us and choose
who they wanted to take in. Nobody wanted us as
we had a baby with us and so, eventually, we
were taken in by Mrs Brooks at Ludham Manor
which was probably a lucky break. Our mother was
a seamstress and she did sewing work for Mrs
Brooks. Mrs Brooks was quite a character who
wore a strange hat because she had no hair. Her
husband Russell was so much younger than her
that, at first, I thought he was her son. Mrs
Brooks had a grand piano with ornaments which
you were not allowed to move. She looked after
us well. We stayed on in Ludham after the war
and we were still here for the Coronation in
1953. We were not allowed to go in the front
door of the Manor and had to use the entrance at
the back.
I
remember the Fairy Garden in the grounds of
Ludham Manor and the bird sanctuary with the
cockatoo called Bill.
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I went to Ludham School at first, and then
later, when I was older, I went to Stalham. I also
went to Sunday School at the Church Rooms and to
church at St Catherine’s. We did not have much
money and our Mother made our clothes. She made me
a lovely coat and while we are out on a Church
Brigade outing, I leaned on a large cable drum and
got a black stripe on the coat. I was in a lot of
trouble.
We did our
shopping at Throwers which was a different and
smaller place back then. We were fascinated by Mr
Knights’ saddlers shop and loved to go in there
and look at all the things on display. Opposite
was the old Post Office also run by Throwers. Near
to this was a chip shop which was really part of a
house. In those days, the Garage was just a sort
of shed. We got our milk from Manor Farm in
Staithe Road. You took a can with you and they
filled it up.
We were
allowed out to explore the village. One very cold
day, the water at Womack was frozen. We were not
supposed to go out on the ice but my sister did
and the ice broke and she fell in. I had to go out
to rescue her. None of us could swim. I got new
clothes as a reward and my sister got a clip round
the ear.
Sometimes,
Mrs Brooks would take us out in her sailing boat.
We would go off to Potter Heigham for a picnic
with cucumber sandwiches. You had to eat it all
and could not get up until you had done so. The
bridge at Potter Heigham was very low and I can
remember scraping the roof of the boat on it as we
went under.
The Pantomime Cast outside the Manor
In the
Manor Grounds was a large Nissen Hut which had been
converted into a theatre. Mrs Brooks used to organise
pantomimes there. If you were chosen to be in the
production, you could not say no. Mum made the
costumes.
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