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When the evacuation of the City of London was called for I was packed up with my small brown case and gas mask and taken to the railway station where everyone was congregating. Before boarding the train, my father took me aside and placed a £10 note in my pocket telling me that it was only to be used in an emergency, and then we hugged goodbye - for how long we had no idea.

On arriving at our destination, we stood in a cold hall waiting to be "chosen". My fate along with two other boys was to be housed by a couple who promptly told us to leave our bags in our room and threw us out the door, telling us not to return until teatime!

On our return we were told to sit down for our tea which consisted of bread and dripping whilst they joined us at the table to eat steak and kidney pie. Whilst eating, we listened to the radio news which gave graphic descriptions of the German bombing of Warsaw. Our host told me that the same thing would be happening in London later that night and I would not be seeing my parents again.

My only thought was that if my Mum and Dad were going to be bombed that night, then I was going to be with them. I classed this as a great emergency for which to use my £10 note.

Divesting myself of my distinctive maroon school blazer and cap, I went to the railway station and bought a ticket to London. I alighted from the train at Wimbledon, only to be "taken into custody" by the ticket collector, who knew I'd run away. A friendly policeman took me to the police station, where I'd to wait for three hours as my parents fought their way through the blackout to collect me. During this time the police were so very kind to me, buying ne comics and even giving me the delicacy of chocolate! My parents were so relieved to see I was alright and were horrifed to hear my story, promising that I would not be sent back there.

On the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ radio news that night it was reported that "the evacuation of the City of London went according to plan except for one small boy" - that was me!

I was eventually re-evacuated, but this time I was billeted with a far more sympathetic family, which whom I stayed in touch for many years, and they even attended my wedding which was fifty years ago this August (2005).

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