I’m fairly sure that I read some of Noel Streatfeild’s books as a child but can’t really remember them, I definitely didn’t read this one though and when I saw it in the Oxfam bookshop in Edinburgh I had to buy it. The book was first published in 1941 but my copy is a 1960 reprint with a foreword from the author explaining that it’s a book about war-time Britain, giving a true picture of how things were in those days. There were no signposts anywhere so that any German spies would find getting about the place a bit more difficult, complete black-outs and no church bells could be rung as the ringing of church bells would mean that the Germans had landed.
Primrose Lane only has four houses in it and they’ve been condemned by the council, just before World War II begins. The family in one of the houses decides to move out and the house is obviously not re-allocated to anyone, but the houses aren’t pulled down due to everything being concentrated on the war effort, so the children in the other three houses, who are aged between 9 to 14 decide that the empty house will be a perfect hide-out for them, away from their parents.
When one of the fathers comes back from the army on a short leave prior to being posted elsewhere he gives in to his wife’s questioning and tells her where he is going to be embarking from and when. The information is overheard by one of the children and she passes it on to one of the other children when they are in their hide-out house. Too late they realise that they in turn have been overheard by a man who has broken into the house. They fear the worst, the man has a strange way of speaking and is very interested in the map collection which one of the boys has pinned out in one of the rooms. How can they stop him from making use of the information without getting the soldier father into trouble for blabbing?
I really did enjoy this book which was obviously written as a warning of what could happen if you didn’t obey all of the government war-time rules. The information poster which they should have all taken notice of was The Walls Have Ears.
The Walls Have Ears poster
You can see more war-time posters here.
As a child I was under the impression that Noel Streatfeild was a man, but I was of course wrong, her full name was Mary Noel Streatfeild.
Katrina,
I must read this one in the coming months. I’ve just added it to my “WannaRead” file. You know, I can’t remember ever reading Noel Streatfield, but I’ve meant to for the longest time. Thanks so much for writing about it and reminding me of this much-admired children’s author.
Judith
Judith,
It’s interesting to think that the children who read this when it was originally published were actually experiencing the war and being evacuated, bombed and taking part in the war effort. I hope you enjoy it if you manage to track down a copy.
I’ve never read Noel Streatfield either (and when I first heard the name, I assumed it was a man as well). I sometimes see her “shoe” books in the stores, but I’d like to read this war-time adventure.
Lisa,
It was only the ballet shoe one which I rememeber even existing, I don’t think I would want to read any of the shoe ones now though.
I’ve never heard of this, though I used to love Noel Streatfeild when I was a child and thought I’d read most of her children’s books! My favourites were Ballet Shoes and Ballet Shoes for Anna.
Helen,
Yes the Ballet Shoes are definitely the best known ones but this book is probably more interesting as a piece of social history, mind you I enjoy almost anything with a wartime setting.