A message from the prairie.

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.