It was the late summer of 1940, I arrived about five o’clock and was taken by the headmaster Mr Scott to have tea with my parents in his sitting room as an introduction to the first day of school life.

In the roof area of the headmaster’s house were two dormitories and a big bathroom where twelve of the youngest Crowden pupils slept. It was presided over by the matron who looked after us. When Mr Churchill gave a speech on the radio in the evenings, she had us all to her room nearby. One evening, just as we were about to go to bed, looking out of the dormer windows we saw the gliders being towed by aircraft flying towards the coast. Every morning we read the daily newspapers that were spread out on the Crowden day room table and that morning we were able to read about the Arnhem event.

David Turpin (1942–1947 Crowden)