THE VILLAGE AT WAR.
Enter Kath, she is middle aged, dowdily dressed. she wanders around, looking at the posters, then sits down, in a forlorn attitude, deep in thought. Enter Margaret, briskly. she is carrying a folder with papers in it. She is dressed in classic country style, tweedy skirt, twin set etc. she starts to take the papers out of the folder, then stops, startled and looks at Kath.
MARGARET Good morning, can I help you?
KATH Good m. .good heavens! Margaret! You are Margaret? (grasps Margaret’s hand)
MARGARET Yes, well, I am Margaret but... .I’m sorry I just can’t quite... have we met?
KATH Yes, yes, don’t you remember me, I’m... .or was Kath Middleton. I’m so pleased to see you again.
MARGARET Kath? Oh, of course I remember you now, Kath Middleton, but it must be... .let me see.. over fifty years since I last saw you. What a surprise! Are you visiting someone in the area?
KATH Well, no, but I have been staying with a friend in Stampton for a few days. I haven’t kept in touch with anyone in the village I’m afraid.
MARGARET I still live here. I never wanted to leave.
KATH This morning I saw a bus was coming here, so I just had to come and see if the old place had changed much. I often think it was the happiest time of my childhood, in spite of the war. MARGARET I know what you mean. Of course it was a shock after being brought up in the East End, but once we got used to the quiet....
KATH It was marvellous. I’d never known that life could be so wonderful. I was billeted at the Hall, I expect you’ll remember. We used to call it the Big House. They were so kind and there was always plenty to eat. Best of all I had a bed to myself.
MARGARET Yes, I think they took in half a dozen children, didn’t they? Lord Mitcham was away in the army, so Lady Mitcham ran the estate alone. She was a great character, and really kept the village together. They only had one son, David.
KATH Wasn’t he away at boarding school most of the time? MARGARET Yes, that’s right, he only came home for the holidays. Of course, old Lady Mitcham is dead now, she was middle aged when war began. I had a good home too with Mrs. Woods down at Yew Tree Cottage. She was like my own grandmother to me.
KATH I don’t know what your home was like, but I was one of six kids, with a Dad out of work most of the time. My mother was glad to get rid of us three young ‘uns when Dad went into the Army, but she soon wanted me home again once I was fourteen and could go to work. I didn’t want to go back,I loved it here.