Wartime homes

The Children's War exhibition includes a recreation of a semi-detached surburban house as it would have looked during the war. It is an exact replica of No. 17 Braemar Avenue, West Wickham, Kent.

Not all homes were as comfortable and modern as this one. Standards of housing in Britain at this time ranged from dilapidated tenement slums to fine stately homes. A high proportion of families still had outside lavatories and no bathroom. Children often shared beds with brothers and sisters or parents.

Over 200,000 houses were totally destroyed and 4,500,000 were damaged by enemy bombing. Many children had to move home several times. In all, 34 million changes of address took place during the war.