The Petticoat & the Evacuee Scene 28

On the upside, this is happening a long way from his hometown of Denton, but on the downside, he’s one of about thirty kids from his corner of the northern powerhouse that is Manchester, and plenty of them attend the same school as Billy. At least three times today he’s overheard the words ‘billy’, ‘dress’, and ‘girl’ as some of the other evacuees clap their eyes on him. On more than a few occasions an adult has questioned Mrs Postlethwaite about the manner in which she’s dressed young Billy, and each time she claims that boys cannot be trusted, are too boisterous and are generally a nuisance. “I never asked for a boy but since I’ve been given one it’s a case of my house, my rules.” is her stubborn retort to those who don’t accept her misandrous reasoning.