Rathbone Market Song
First song in my musical play, "Evacuees", which will always be special now as it was the last song I recorded with my dear friend, Doug Scott. The song sets the scene for "Evacuees", a song about the market in Canning Town that had become almost an institution for east enders from that area, and what was about to change with the inevitability of World War II. The song was written by myself and Doug Scott, with piano by John Branton.
Where Are The Children?
At this point in the story, my parents had been sending the children to school with a packed lunch and a change of clothes, in readiness for the evacuation. For security reasons, they weren't told when or where the children would be taken. On the fateful day, word got out and my mother ran to the station, only to get there too late, seeing the train pull out with my sisters on board.
Running Out of Life
At this point in the story, the family have been evacuated from London at the start of World War 2. My three sisters were sent to Bletchingdon, Oxford. My mother and baby George were sent to Bridgewater, Somerset.
My father was left behind alone in London to continue work, while also working as an air raid warden during the nightly raids.
