T12 – Summary – Ramsbottom Heritage Society

T12 Eric Quinn

Evacuation from Manchester to Ramsbottom during World War 2

Recorded 1989

Length 00:57:45

The speaker recounts their evacuation from Manchester to Ramsbottom during WWII.
They were initially sent to a council house in Newton Heath.
The speaker and their siblings were separated from friends and placed in different schools.
They describe their journey on a steam train and arrival in Ramsbottom.
The family was taken in by a local couple, referred to as Aunt Linda and Uncle.
The speaker shares experiences of adapting to rural life, school, and community events during the war.

🏠 Early Life & Evacuation (1939)

The narrator lived in Ancoats, Manchester, then moved to Newton Heath in a new council house shortly before WWII began.
At nearly nine years old, he attended Briscoe Lane Infant School, while his siblings went to Brewdale Park.
On September 1, 1939, he and other children gathered at Brewdale Park and were transported by double-decker bus to Victoria Station, then boarded a steam train for evacuation.
The train passed through several towns and eventually reached Ramsbottom, though the children didn’t know their destination at the time.
Upon arrival, crowds gathered to receive evacuees. He and his brother were assigned to live with a couple at 94 Bolton Road West (known as “Auntie Linda” and “Uncle ****”), while his sisters were placed elsewhere.

🧒 Settling In

The first evening felt foreign but welcoming; they had tea (sandwiches, unusual for them) and no tears were shed.
By the next morning, they explored the local streets and recreation ground. Saturday and Sunday were spent getting acquainted with the area, attending Sunday school at Dundee Congregational Church, and adapting to new routines.
On Monday, all evacuees met at the local recreation ground for nature rambles and activities while school placements were being arranged.

🏫 Schooling & Early Wartime Life

The narrator attended St Andrew’s Church School, a much smaller and more partitioned environment than his Manchester council school.
He recalls that only a handful of evacuees were at St Andrew’s, and he had to adjust to the new environment.
Hundreds of evacuees arrived initially, with another influx around 1941, including children from London. Many returned home by Christmas 1939.
Daily life included rationing, blackout precautions, and carrying gas masks (though he rarely used his).
During the Manchester Blitz, he remembers watching from Ramsbottom as the skies over Manchester were illuminated by bombing.

❄️🌞 Life in Ramsbottom (1940–41): Seasons & Daily Routine

Winter 1940 brought record snowfall—roads were impassable and milk carts struggled. He marvelled at the snow compared to Manchester’s usual slush.
Summers involved gardening and raising up to 50 rabbits (Belgian–Flemish crosses) for food. He fed them daily before school, using extra ration coupons for oatmeal.
They sold tomatoes from the garden in summer.
Holidays included trips to Tongmore Hall (Bolton) for a fortnight with other evacuees, and Ambleside in the Lake District, which was memorable despite rain.

👨‍👩‍👦 Family & Community

His sisters eventually returned home permanently; his brother left at 14 to work in Manchester. He stayed on alone in Ramsbottom.
Parents visited occasionally; he recalls crying when they first left. Over time, Ramsbottom became “home,” and he preferred to stay with friends there.
A devout grandfather figure also lived in the household later, known for his strict religious observance and moral code.

⚒️ Local Trades & Wartime Economy

His uncle worked as a baker at the Co-op bakery in Holt Street. Wartime work was intense—early starts and long hours.
He helped at the bakery greasing tins, remembers Lord Woolton Bread competitions, and the bakery winning third prize nationally.
The bakery’s meat pies were locally famous; queues formed every Friday.
He also describes John Dewis, a local china seller with a horse and cart, and Bob Allen the clogger, where he learned to repair and maintain clogs (wooden shoes with irons).

🌙 Wartime Events & Culture

Blackouts were strict—torches had slits, and children wore luminescent badges to avoid collisions at night.
Wings Weeks and Spitfire fundraising weeks at school involved collecting money toward warplanes, tracked on public indicator boards in Ramsbottom marketplace.
He recalls Bramwell Evans, the BBC “Romany” storyteller, visiting Ramsbottom to give a talk at the Baptist Church, which left a lasting impression.

✨ Overall Themes

The transcript vividly illustrates evacuee experiences: dislocation, adaptation, rural vs. urban contrasts, wartime community spirit, and childhood resilience.
It is rich in place names, local customs, and wartime social history—particularly the integration of Manchester evacuees into small-town Ramsbottom life.
His memories are detailed and often nostalgic, blending humour, hardship, and affection for the people who hosted him.

T12 – Summary