Handmade WWII Magazines by Evacuee Sisters Uncovered

In December, a substantial brown paper package was left at the Petworth Cottage Museum. Gordon and Debby Stevenson, a volunteer and board member at the West Sussex museum, initially believed it to be an early Christmas gift. Mr. Stevenson recounted, “We unravelled it and it turned out to be these funny little Petworth Star hand-drawn, hand-illustrated, magazines.” The Stevensons subsequently learned that these magazines, some of which were penned in pencil and bound with string and red thread, were the work of Polly Scadden and her sister Amy. The sisters had been evacuated from Portsmouth during World War Two. These fragile artifacts are currently housed at the West Sussex Record Office in Chichester. Ms. Stevenson informed the Secret Sussex podcast that a woman from Oxford delivered them, having discovered them among her recently deceased father’s possessions. Ms. Stevenson further stated, “Because he was a furniture dealer, she thinks probably they were in a piece of furniture.” While carefully examining the delicate pages of these “lovely little books,” Ms. Stevenson noted that the sisters had been evacuated to a farm. She clarified, “At first we assumed, being evacuees, that they were perhaps teenagers… but no, they were actually more sort of middle-aged ladies.” Archivist Victoria Evans, who is now responsible for the magazines at the West Sussex Record Office, highlighted a page describing the period leading up to Christmas. A particular story from the magazine states: “It is nearing Christmas in our village and excitement is felt in every phase of our life.” “Even the stream has turned into a turbulent waterfall and adds to the stormy landscape in an ever-monotonous song.” “Everyone in our household seems to be hoarding string, paper, not a piece can be found. Parcels everywhere, they seem to be growing.” Ms. Evans commented, “I’ve done a bit of research into the family. We have Polly Scadden – she was usually referred to as Popsy Wopsy or Nellie – and we also had Amy Scadden her sister – she gets referred to as Auntie Amy in the books.” She further noted, “There’s even a Christmas menu… they had ham and chicken, boiled potatoes, brussel sprouts, and then they had Christmas pudding with custard afterwards.” Ms. Evans speculated that their rural setting fostered relationships with farmers and butchers, granting them “access to a little bit more food and were able to plan for a really full Christmas.”