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I was born six months before War was declared and have a twin sister. My parents already had two children. There were ten years between us and our older sister.

At the age of fourteen months my parents arranged for my twin and I to be evacuated under a scheme arranged through Wandsworth Council. This decision was made because the bombing of London had started and my mother found it intolerable having to rush to take twins down a number of flights of stairs from the Council flat we lived in and get to the shelter. She also worried about the health conditions in the air raid shelter.

We went to the home of Lord and Lady Ismay who had converted a wing of their country home for evacuees whose parents could not stay with them. We were to spend the next five years in Broadway, Worcestershire at their home as well as about one year in the home of tenants on their estate. This occurred when we went to the Village School.

My parents did visit when they could get a train but travelling was extremely difficult. Lord Ismay was a member of the War Cabinet and spent a great deal of time in London but when he did get home he always took the trouble to see us children. I think there were about a dozen boys and girls staying in his home. I do remember sitting on his kneee and that my sister and I did get into trouble for putting salt into the sugar bowl but as far as I can remember we were forgiven.

I also remember when we went to school at the age of four that we were taken to the Village School by pony and trap. I also enjoyed helping to pick strawberries in the walled garden at the Ismay's home.

Lord and Lady Ismay's three daughters helped look after us but there were professional nurses with us all the time. I believe our parents contributed to the cost of this evacuation.

I have really happy and fond memories of growing up in a beautiful, peaceful and loving environment. We eventually went back to London when we were six years old and that was quite a shock. We were totally country girls and had an accent so the children in Brixton Hill where we lived used to laugh at us.

I am always grateful to the Ismay family for enabling us to have a good start in life without any fear of the dangers of London and I know our parents made the right decision although they had to be parted from us.

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