91�ȱ�

Extract from edited transcript of Mrs Ethel Wolley (née Blatchford) interviewed by 91�ȱ� Radio Guernsey 5/2/05.
Transcribed by John David

, and then of course you had the choice of whether you went or whether you stayed, some sent the wives away, and the husbands stayed,
I………. Your parents thought it would be right for you to go, initially to London…
Well they were hoping to go to Bristol themselves, you see, and the arrangements were that we would all meet up in Bristol, but I was in Bridley Road Market, in north London, I was buying some curtain material, and I heard two of the traders saying “Very bad news, this morning, the Channel islands have been occupied”
I………. how did you feel when you heard that?
I nearly went through the floor. It was if you had struck me with lightning. So anyway, I didn’t bother buying the curtain material, I just packed it all in and went home, and Aunt Edie said “they may have got away” I suppose every day for a week we used to sit on Waterloo Station, waiting for the trains to come in, thinking they might be on the train, and then we realised, that was it.
I………. Did you hear from them at any point?
Not for about a year,
I………. So there you were at about eighteen, not knowing how your parents were…
And then of course we had the Red Cross messages. So I stayed in London,

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.