Evacuated during the war

I was evacuated from Hackney in the 1940s with a large group of children. We all had essential luggage (mall suitcase, no wheels) and of course our Gas Masks. We arrived in Blackpool and were taken to a Church Hall where a group of local residents were waiting. It was a bit like a cattle market. The local residents who had spare bedrooms were told THEY HAD TO TAKE EVACUEES. Some people only wanted boys, others only wanted girls. The residents could choose their favoured child. One lady looked at me and said, "no I don't want that girl, she has got Chinky eyes." After a time, there were only three girls left, me and two sisters (who wanted and in fact were told by their mother to stay together). Thinking back on the lady who was last, I'm sure she was hoping all the children would be accommodated and she wouldn't need to take an evacuee, but she had no choice, she had the room. There was the lady, her husband and daughter. I never felt welcome. We three girls ate our meals on our own and often we were hungry. My mother came to see me after one month knowing I wasn't happy. She said it was early days and to give it time to see if things improved. Unfortunately, they didn't improve so after six months my mum took me home. There was still lots of bombing in London and often we had to sleep in a community shelter as we lived in a block of flats. But I was much happier and I'm still here!