Although I have only been lucky to see Part 5 of this series it is firmly classed as a favourite. I hadn't realised it was so long ago when I discovered it on Australian schools TV programmes BUT it still remains fresh in my mind. I only wish I had seen the entire series. I did record Part 5 on VHS as soon as I realised what the subject matter was BUT in a recent change of address I fear that even this recording may have been irretrievably lost. I grew up in wartime England so I was enthralled to see that what I saw of the series depicted faithfully all that I remembered of that time. I was especially interested in the subject matter as my parents became the hosts of a total of 6 evacuee children - firstly we were given 2 girls from the Tilbury docklands area. These were relinquished when, due to my father's Essential War Worker's job classification we moved from our village to the more industrialised city of Worcester UK. Here, soon after having a bomb-damaged house requisitioned for us as a result of my father's status we were given 2 boys from Coventry to care for - these became my adored big-brothers for some 2 years I suppose (it seemed as if they were with us a life-time). Whilst they still lived with us the Billeting Officers knocked on the door once more and we were presented with a further 2 boys - from London this time. I have often wondered what they thought of US and how they were treated during their stay with us. All I can feel of that time was a tremendous feeling of mingled fear engendered by the dangerous times we lived in and utter content with our daily lives and the adventures we had together after school, at week-ends and during the holidays. I was 5 years of age when war was declared and can remember that day as if it were yesterday, and I was 11 when the war ended. So many memorable things had happened during that wonderful time of pulling together that they have left an indelible imprint upon my mind which the years have done nothing to diminish. In 2004 I managed to track down our 2 evacuees from Coventry. Unfortunately one of them had died shortly before but I did have a long talk with his widow. The other one I did actually get to speak to and we too had a long conversation - catching up on the years that had passed since we had last seen one-another, which was marvellous! BOTH of them had revisited our old house in Worcester - which my family left in 1951 to come to Australia. I promised to write to them but then lost all my records when I became ill and then changed addresses. I have recently re-located them and will shortly be writing to pick up where I left off - which again brings me back to 'Carrie's War'. Having yesterday found out that there is a 2004 version of this available I am not sure whether buying and viewing this with affect my joyful memory of what I saw of the 1974 version - I hope it doesn't!
Does anyone else remember seeing the 1974 version? Were you of the right age for it to be a memory of your wartime years?
DOES ANYONE HAVE A COPY OF THE 1974 SERIES THAT I COULD BUY - Please???
My only other comment is to remark that there seems to be a profound difference between how older films are viewed by 'the younger generation' and the opinions of us 'young' oldies who either lived through these times or saw these films when they were new. I did go to see 'Narnia' at our local cinema fairly recently and was totally transported during the earlier blitz scenes - so much so that the remainder of the film was lost to me! (Another film that I have thoroughly enjoyed was 'Hope and Glory' which once again re-lived a very important part of my life.