Page 26 - June 2024 Newsletter

A WAR STORY

I was 'thought of' in Folkestone and born in Leamington Spa in
1940 (work it out!)

In Folkestone Daddy was a skilled cabinet maker, and was told he
was needed to help build aeroplanes for the war effort in
Coventry; he really wanted to join The Royal Navy but they didn't
give him the choice. So in June 1940 the family moved to 110
Radford Road, Leamington Spa to the house where I have now
lived for 83 years!

Our wonderful neighbours in Folkestone, the Beers, moved into
110 with us, because Uncle Beer was also a skilled cabinet
maker. We lived amicably together throughout the war years. The
Beers had Marian and Mum and Dad had Julie.

When Mum was 8 months pregnant with me, her sister Win was
sadly killed in Hastings in September 1940. In October the
midwife realized that I had stopped growing, and on a cold night
in October Daddy pushed heavily-pregnant Mum to the Warnford
Hospital just down the road in a wheelbarrow - it was in the
blackout in wartime! Consequently I
was a very tiny baby and was put into the
only incubator in the Hospital, and
called Wendy Wiffles!

After the war the Beers moved to
Lillington. Auntie Beer had Kenny, and
Mummy had baby Margaret - we
remained firm friends for life.

Wendy Green

A wheelbarrow can be a
very useful tool.

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