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"This story was submitted to the People's War site by Anna Jones of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ on behalf of Caroline Williams and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions"

It was on a Sunday, February 1940 and I was 20 years old. The weather was dreadful, it was one of the worst winters. Birds froze on the telephone lines and the lines were down because of the ice. I was travelling from my home in Newport where I'd spent the weekend with my family. I was going to Wickwar where I worked as a primary school teacher. There were a lot of evacuees in that area from Birmingham - from the area where they made the chocolate - I think it was Bournville.
Anyway I picked up the train from Newport and because the Severn Tunnel was closed for repair work, I had to come on another train which took another route but went through Wickwar to Bristol without stopping. It's not a long way to Wickwar and I was surprised on this occasion that it stopped outside the station probably because of signal failure or something like that.
I remember starting to say "This is my station, if only I could get off here - otherwise I'll have to go all the way to Bristol and come back again. "Why can't you get off here?" I remember someone shouting. "Come on!" The train was full of troops and, before I knew it, the train door was open and I was being lifted down onto the track. I waved to them as the train left. I got to the exit of Wickwar station -it was very icy and it was a very steep slope - worse than a skating rink. So I decided to take off my shoes - needs must when the devil drives. I was alright with stockinged feet and walked to the road. Then I put on my shoes and walked uphill towards my lodgings. My landlady was none too pleased to see me - I was too early!

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