Description
Object description
Lively and interesting collection of 108 ms letters (452pp) to her parents written by Dorothy E King during her evacuation from their home in Abbey Wood, south London to Maidstone, Berkshire (September 1939 - August 1941) and to Bedford (September 1941 - ?June 1945) with The King's Warren School, cheerfully giving all the latest school news and comments about her many activities, including her initial shock at the limited teaching arrangements at Maidstone, the difficulties this brought to school life, her anxiety about V2 raids, excitement at the victory celebrations in Bedford and her interest in the political issues raised by the end of hostilities, together with: an ms page from her 'diary' for 8 May 1945 describing how she heard about the German surrender, the VE Day celebrations in Bedford, and her own activities over the holiday; 8 ms letters (23pp) to her from her mother, Mrs Dorothy Sarah King (?July 1943 - May 1945) including notes on bombs dropped in the neighbourhood and an excellent description of VE Day as seen from her London office; 13 ms letters (26pp) to her from her grandmother, Susan Sarah Johnson, in Plumstead, south London (September 1942 - May 1945) giving a good picture of the general concerns of the elderly and a brief description of victory celebrations; and 3 ms letters (6pp) to Dorothy's mother (August - November 1940) from Mrs Ivy Waller, one of Dorothy's foster mothers from Maidstone, mostly discussing Dorothy's needs. Also with the collection is a photocopied ms account (28pp, written c.1996) by Dorothy, recalling memories of the various foster parents and homes she had during her evacuation, including comments on the shock brought by the reality of leaving home, her perception of how difficult it must have been for the foster parents, the difficult adjustment to home life, and her thoughts about evacuation fifty years on.
Content description
Lively and interesting collection of 108 ms letters (452pp) to her parents written by Dorothy E King during her evacuation from their home in Abbey Wood, south London to Maidstone, Berkshire (September 1939 - August 1941) and to Bedford (September 1941 - ?June 1945) with The King's Warren School, cheerfully giving all the latest school news and comments about her many activities, including her initial shock at the limited teaching arrangements at Maidstone, the difficulties this brought to school life, her anxiety about V2 raids, excitement at the victory celebrations in Bedford and her interest in the political issues raised by the end of hostilities, together with: an ms page from her 'diary' for 8 May 1945 describing how she heard about the German surrender, the VE Day celebrations in Bedford, and her own activities over the holiday; 8 ms letters (23pp) to her from her mother, Mrs Dorothy Sarah King (?July 1943 - May 1945) including notes on bombs dropped in the neighbourhood and an excellent description of VE Day as seen from her London office; 13 ms letters (26pp) to her from her grandmother, Susan Sarah Johnson, in Plumstead, south London (September 1942 - May 1945) giving a good picture of the general concerns of the elderly and a brief description of victory celebrations; and 3 ms letters (6pp) to Dorothy's mother (August - November 1940) from Mrs Ivy Waller, one of Dorothy's foster mothers from Maidstone, mostly discussing Dorothy's needs. Also with the collection is a photocopied ms account (28pp, written c.1996) by Dorothy, recalling memories of the various foster parents and homes she had during her evacuation, including comments on the shock brought by the reality of leaving home, her perception of how difficult it must have been for the foster parents, the difficult adjustment to home life, and her thoughts about evacuation fifty years on.
History note
Cataloguer PJB
History note
Catalogue date 1997-07-21
