Too Many Goodbyes

The story told in ‘Too Many Goodbyes’ is that of an eight year old schoolboy, called Geoffrey Sleeman, from south London, who in 1939 was evacuated to the safety of the West Sussex countryside because of the impending outbreak of World War II. He, along with an elder brother and sister, were evacuated with the brother’s school just before the outbreak of the war. This was allowed so as not to split families up. It tells not only of his confusion and bewilderment but that of every child involved in the mass movement of children. Very few if any understood exactly what was happening or why. Following the confusion of the tearful goodbyes and the train journey the three siblings plus two other boys were eventually billeted with a very well-to-do household. The house owners were a Mr and Mrs Corbett-Ashby who had a live-in staff comprising a cook, housemaid, a general handyman, and a lady who did mending, sewing, repairs and helping in the kitchen. There was a very large garden and grounds for crop growing and pasture. For this there was a full time gardener who lived in his shack within the grounds. It was a completely different lifestyle from their modest flat in Battersea, south London, where their parents, two older sisters and a much younger brother remained, trying to carry on life as normally as possible. The responsibility of looking after these five evacuee children fell upon the cook and housemaid, who were sisters. It was a strange, new situation and this story tells of how everybody had to quickly adjust and try to cope with it as best as they could. There was not enough room in the village school for the London evacuees so the headmaster and teachers had to set about finding accommodation where classescould be held, and also some equipment to start up their own separate school. This was not easy and took some weeks to achieve – and even then there was very little equipment to be seen. The village to which they were sent was not exactly overjoyed at having its peaceful rural life disrupted, least of all by this mob of rough and ready London kids, and very often it showed. There are stories of exciting times like when the Queen (later the Queen Mother) visited the makeshift school and by doing so got the four boys into trouble. Stories also of the pranks they got up to and of the schoolboy adventures they had. Not forgetting the troubles they got themselves into including falling foul of Mr Harold Macmillan in the very early days of their evacuation. Macmillan was a friend and neighbour of the Ashby’s. Some of the stories are amusing, some are sad, but all are true and much of this was taking place while the Battle of Britain was being fought overhead. Also it tells of the heartache and hardships of those wartime years. During the London Blitz the siblings’ parents had them back to London but only for a day trip. The idea being to show them what was happening to London and why they had been sent away to the country for safety. They saw the Elephant and Castle area at one of its worst times. This had a profound effect. After being away for nearly three years it was now time to return. Their parents and family had now moved into a fine, big house in another area of London so it was decided it was time to bring them home. This was just like being evacuated again, more tearful goodbyes, new house, new surroundings and people to get to know - and a new school. Worst of it all was having to get to know his own family again and adapt to their way of living. The conclusion goes briefly into Geoffs’ adult life because on three occasions he meets up with people who he had last seen when a very young schoolboy evacuee. This brings back memories of those wartime schoolboy days.

Publisher - BookVAULT Publishing

Author(s) - Geoff Sleeman

Paperback

Published Date - January 12 2023

ISBN - 9781804671009

Dimensions - 25 x 17.5 x 2.2 cm

Page Count - 317