Deborah's Story

Grole and After, 1968-1970

Deborah Jackman finishes drawing her map of Grole. The map brings back many memories. Deborah was only eight years old when her family left Grole, but she talks of her childhood as "before" and "after" the move. Her childhood is made up of two different times, two very different places.

She remembers how people talked about the move. Would it be a good or bad thing? In 1968, as people were slowly leaving, everything that happened seemed to have something to do with resettlement.

Some people were saying they did not want to go - they were not going to leave. Other people were not sure. They talked about it among themselves. Would the move be a good thing? Or a bad thing?

But most people, Deborah says, tried to be positive about it. They tried to think of it as a good thing when the "men in suits" showed up. These men were sent by the government. Their job was to explain what help people would get when they moved. They brought papers that showed people their new land.