Lowestoft Evacuees

[Strogger]

Good Morning,

I am not too sure if this is the right Forum top place this post in so if it needs moving please let me know.

A friend of mine is trying to make contact with anyone who was evacuated to North Derbyshire, to a mining village called "Clowne" (and yep this is a real place near Chesterfield).

He had an old auntie and uncle who took in an evacuee from Lowestoft and he is interested to see if there are any members of his family still around.

This was the story he found in the BBC archives:

Contributed by

Gloria Newby
People in story: Don Edwards
Location of story: Clowne,Derbyshire
Background to story: Civilian
Article ID: A4271140
Contributed on:
25 June 2005

In 1940 I was an evacuee at the approximate age of 5. We were a family of 10., 4 boys and 6 girls. 7 of us were sent to Clowne. This was a mining village. I stayed with a mining family for 2 years, then another for 4 years, namely Mr & Mrs Torr who were like a mum & dad to me. They wanted to adopt me but my father said no.3 of my sisters did get adopted, so I feel the war broke our family up. My father was like a stanger to me as I only saw him once during the war. The first family I stayed has not happy memories for me but when I went to the Torrs these were the happiest 4 years of my life. I was treated like a son , they were such a loving couple; I wish I could have stayed with them.

A German plane crashed in the village, and although there was a little resentment of the enemy the villagers refrained from any confrontation with the crew. I remember the freedom we had . Although we were aware of the war ,we had such happy times.

I remember steel railings being taken from peoples gardens & parks etc. for the war effort.Also foil was dropped from aircraft; I guess it was for distraction purposes, but I'm not sure .

Every Friday Tommy Torr would take me on his bicycle cross-bar to pick up his weekly wage. What a ride that was . It was so exciting to a 5 yr. old boy then.The house was spotless and Mrs Torr baked her own bread; I can still smell it coming from the oven.I remember listening to the sound of the miners boots clip - clopping along the paths on dark mornings as they made their way to work. There were no lights on because of the blackout.

It was a time of great happiness . My heart will forever be in Clowne, the main reason being Uncle Tom & Auntie Ciss, as I knew them.

P.S. What a lovely V.E. and V.J. day we had with Bonfires & baked potatoes.

Thanks is advance....

[boatbuilder]

Welcome, Strogger.

I know Clowne as I have driven through there many times when I travel up north to visit relatives as I take the quiet route from Newark to the M1.

However, I am not sure this will have any connection or not, but in the mid-late 1990's I knew a girl - probably in her mid-late 20's then - who came from Clowne. At the time she worked in the bar at the Crown in Carlton Colville and it was during a conversation when she told us where she came from thinking that we would never have heard of it, and was surprised when we told her we had.

I don't recall what her connection with Lowestoft is or was, or if it went back to family or other connections from the time you are referring to. I know at the time we knew her she lived in Carlton Colville close to Hollow Grove Way although probably not there now 20 years on. At the moment I don't recall her name either, I'm afraid.

[Strogger]

Thanks Boatbuilder.............hopefully someone will pick up on the thread.........

[Strogger]

Hiya I just thought I would throw this out there again as we have had quite a few members join since Streetlife changed formats:

A friend of mine is trying to make contact with anyone who was evacuated to North Derbyshire, to a mining village called "Clowne" (and yep this is a real place near Chesterfield).

He had an old auntie and uncle who took in an evacuee from Lowestoft and he is interested to see if there are any members of his family still around.

This was the story he found in the BBC archives:

Contributed by

Gloria Newby
People in story: Don Edwards
Location of story: Clowne,Derbyshire
Background to story: Civilian
Article ID: A4271140
Contributed on:
25 June 2005

In 1940 I was an evacuee at the approximate age of 5. We were a family of 10., 4 boys and 6 girls. 7 of us were sent to Clowne. This was a mining village. I stayed with a mining family for 2 years, then another for 4 years, namely Mr & Mrs Torr who were like a mum & dad to me. They wanted to adopt me but my father said no.3 of my sisters did get adopted, so I feel the war broke our family up. My father was like a stanger to me as I only saw him once during the war. The first family I stayed has not happy memories for me but when I went to the Torrs these were the happiest 4 years of my life. I was treated like a son , they were such a loving couple; I wish I could have stayed with them.

A German plane crashed in the village, and although there was a little resentment of the enemy the villagers refrained from any confrontation with the crew. I remember the freedom we had . Although we were aware of the war ,we had such happy times.

I remember steel railings being taken from peoples gardens & parks etc. for the war effort.Also foil was dropped from aircraft; I guess it was for distraction purposes, but I'm not sure .

Every Friday Tommy Torr would take me on his bicycle cross-bar to pick up his weekly wage. What a ride that was . It was so exciting to a 5 yr. old boy then.The house was spotless and Mrs Torr baked her own bread; I can still smell it coming from the oven.I remember listening to the sound of the miners boots clip - clopping along the paths on dark mornings as they made their way to work. There were no lights on because of the blackout.

It was a time of great happiness . My heart will forever be in Clowne, the main reason being Uncle Tom & Auntie Ciss, as I knew them.

P.S. What a lovely V.E. and V.J. day we had with Bonfires & baked potatoes.

Thanks is advance....

[frankiesays]

My mum was evacuated to Worksop - not all that far away but not Clowne though.

[Strogger]

Hiya Frankiesays............Worksop was is about 6 miles from where I was born....

[Strogger]

Good Afternoon,

Just chanced across the following on YouTube .......... there is a small (very small) reference to Lowestoft evacuees visiting Clowne in Derbyshire - just wondered if anyone recognised anybody - you may have to cut and paste into your browsers...........
[youtube]mfWIzPyxrRs[/youtube]

[boatbuilder]

Although I have no connections with Clowne apart from what I have previously posted earlier in this topic, I found the video interesting to watch but I only recognised the road at the very beginning which is the approach from the Newark direction on the A616. There's obviously much more to the place than I have seen just driving through there umpteen times over the past 29 years or so.

I also took the opportunity to embed your video into the post, Strogger.

[Strogger]

Hiya BB,

The village has changed even since this video was taken - I still have some family that live there but I left about 50 years ago when I went to university ..........

[boatbuilder]

It's only 2 years since I last drove through there, Strogger but as I say I only use the A616 route through to the M1 and never vary from that. Don't have the time to go sightseeing on the 250 mile journey to Colne.

[Strogger]

Hiya BB unless I have a specific reason to visit the village (Xmas pressies and cards etc) I generally go straight to Chesterfield where my children and grandchildresn live so I tens to go via Ollerton and Mansfield through Sherwood Forest........

[boatbuilder]

I have used that route in the past Strogger but that was when I was commuting down here from Cheshire on a weekly basis before I moved so haven’t been that way for over 27 years. If I remember rightly you take a different turn off the small roundabout north of the sugar beet factory at Newark.

[Strogger]

I have used that route in the past Strogger but that was when I was commuting down here from Cheshire on a weekly basis before I moved so haven’t been that way for over 27 years. If I remember rightly you take a different turn off the small roundabout north of the sugar beet factory at Newark.

Yep that right BB...........miss the A1 Rounabout and carry on

[boatbuilder]

I have used that route in the past Strogger but that was when I was commuting down here from Cheshire on a weekly basis before I moved so haven’t been that way for over 27 years. If I remember rightly you take a different turn off the small roundabout north of the sugar beet factory at Newark.

Yep that right BB...........miss the A1 Rounabout and carry on

I think I may have got the route mixed up with another one there, Strogger. I normally go on the A1(North) for one exit and then come off and back through South Muskham to a small roundabout north of the sugar beet factory where I turn right onto the A616 which is the Ollerton-Clowne road to the M1. However, you mention Ollerton and Mansfield but Ollerton is on the A616 and Mansfield is on the A617. Could you be thinking of the other old colliery town of Pleasley which is on the A617 en-route to Chesterfield?