Ernest Payne's Page

My Father,W J Payne was Wood Green councillor and in 1937 he opened the Durnsford Road swimming pool ( subsequently bombed).It became a garden centre.

As master builder his business collapsed at the outbreak of war due to his men being called up. Also ,his transport was requisitioned by the Auxiliary Fire Service.

During 1943 he supervised work on Wanstead Flats producing concrete floating pontoons for Mulberry Harbour.

With our gas masks and emergency rations myself and my two sisters were sent from Palace Gates (not Palace) station to Steeple Bumpstead. A week later our Mother promptly took us home, away from the dreadful conditions she found us in. I was re- evacuated to Frome, Somerset for a year with some lovely people.

We lived in Alexandra Park Road which seemed to be inline from the Finsbury Park Ack Ack barrage . A fter the air raIds we would scour the roads for jagged shell shrapnel, the prize would be the brass fuse cap, the more complete the better.

I was in the1555th North London Scout Troop which was delightful, being well run.I went camping at Phazells Woods, Cuffley Woods and Scouts park where in the middle of one night  we were subjected to a massive blast nearby  where with no warning a sneak raider was after the LNER tunnel as was the earlier bomb on the pool, We spent the rest of the night in Bounds Green tube station.

The 155th scout hut 'The Den' at the top of The  Avenue is sill there as a garage opposite the old station, below the Palace Rose Window. This was tragically blown out by the very nearby V1 Doodle Bug Which also blew out windows in my house 1/2 mile away. The Den is seen on Google Sreet View.

The 155th had a special dismountable hand truck with two separate top boxes in one of which was put our meat rations for a camp .When opened for our Sunday  dinner it was putrified and buried in the latrine we had dug.

  ' Happy Days'

      {I am now aged 89)