QUEEN MARY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 January 1940, Page 8

QUEEN MARY

IN A COUNTY VILLAGE. LEARNS TO PLAY HOPSCOTCH. Queen Mary was recently shown how to play hopscotch. The demonstration was given by 5-year-old Ethel Ann. who has been evacuated from Birmingham to a West Country village. Ethel Ann now proudly numbers herself as one of Queen Mary’s adopted “God-children.” Queen Mary is staying in the village for “the duration’’ and has invited the little "refugees” to her temporary home to help in the garden. Ethel is delighted to be a friend of Queen Mary's, but there is one thing she can't, get used to. Her teacher has warned her always to address Queen Mary as “Your Majesty,” but Ethel always calls her “Queen” then blushes through her freckles as she realises her mistake. The children were sent to the village when war broke out, and the majority were billeted in the village hall. Aci companied by her ladies-in-waiting and her servants Queen Mary moved into the same West Country village, staying with friends who offered her shelter during the war. Directly she heard there were evacuated children in the village she sent a lady-in-wait-ing to arrange for them to visit her. The children arrived very shyly one afternoon when the Queen was busy in the garden. She soon put them at their ease by asking them to help her. She is very fond of children and was so delighted to have them with her that she invited them to come and visit her regularly. Now she knows them all by their Christian names and gives prizes of books and dolls to those who do their gardening the best.