Hi,
This most interesting
message was posted on our BLOG in January and I belatedly bring it to your
attention now. I wanted to be sure that you were aware of it for more than one
reason. First is that someone found our Blog and responded to our plea for help
identifying students in school photos by pointing out that one of them was
herself. Second that she included a
couple of brief memories in the exact vein that
Helen
Carr recently asked
for that can add so much to the historical importance and interest of what we
are trying to do. And third, that she is a wonderful writer and more of her
story can be found at the links below about her time living at Cordova Bay and
elsewhere.
This is the
original message from Shirley (Shillington) Vick in
Edmonton………
“Just found your web and find it
most interesting. I was in Miss Adamson's 1942/43 class, (at Royal Oak School) I
am #10 of the unknown students and my pre marriage name was Shirley Shillington.
My father was in the RCAF and I lived in Cordova Bay so had to take a school bus
to get to Royal Oak. Because the schools were so crowded, I was sent to
Craigflower in grade 2 and Keating in grade 3 and for part of grade 4. Then the
war ended and my family returned to Saskatoon.
I have a picture from
Craigflower but don't know about Keating. I do have a memory of some interesting
events for example: In Grade one Royal Oak #OROS-42-43-Gr 1 & 2 I was the
first one in the class to get the chicken pox but didn't realize that is what I
had for a couple of days. Finally, I was off school and when I returned everyone
in the class was done with chicken pox except one girl, the class had all caught
the chicken pox from me. At Christmas in Royal Oak we had a concert and I seem
to have some recollection of us wearing white, maybe we were angels or whatever.
Anyway, an older girl then started singing White Christmas and after a few lines
she turned to the rest of us and said, Now, everyone join in." Keating was an
interesting experience, the school bus would be waiting for us at the bottom of
the long hill so I remember that hill quite well. The amazing memory though was
that we had foxholes around the perimeter of the school ground. Nowadays
children have fire drills, we had air raids and had to run out and hide in the
fox holes. I notice in the minutes of your meeting that a lot of members will
turn 80 this year, I am also one of those coming up to 80. I live in
Edmonton.”
I hope that you will take a few moments to visit Shirley’s blog. You
might find that you have been mentioned and you will certainly remember the
context.
To pick up Shirley’s story from
when her and her family arrive in Victoria click on this
link. http://prairieshirley.blogspot.ca/2016/01/we-arrive-in-victoria.html
When you reach the bottom of the page click on
the “NEWER POST” to move forward in time.
For Shirley’s Blog home page click
here. https://plus.google.com/107603256468526955136
If you have a message for Shirley send it to me and I will forward
it.
Enjoying the feedback on some of my old memories, hard to say if anyone actually caught chicken pox from me or whether Miss Adamson was just saying that. I have an unusual memory that I will pass on that I think was from my grade one class at Royal Oak. I don't know if anyone else has this recollection. The war was going full force and one day the teacher asked if anyone's father had died that month in the war, and if so to put up their hand. I don't know if anyone responded, but looking back it just reminds me of the horrors of the war and what we all remember.
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