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In September 1939 I was on a train from Liverpool Street going to 'who knows where' but eventually arrived at Eye in Suffolk. I was one of a number of evacuees from East Ham and together with my younger brother we were taken to Eye Town Hall for biscuits and lemonade. Then a number of volunteers took us round to the houses where we were to be billeted. Our hosts were very kind and later we all went to Eye Secondary Modern School. The headmaster,Mr Ford, kindly welcomed us. We attended school in the afternoon, local children attended in the morning. We also had use of the Reading Room for private study in the mornings. I stayed in Eye for 2 1/2 years, leaving school at 15 1/2 in 1941. Later my parents had been bombed out of their shop in London and had moved to Braintree, Essex, so I never went back to London. Whilst in Braintree I joined the 'Girls Training Corps' and was chosen to go up to the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ who were doing a programme on the radio, to be broadcast at Christmas - this was about the experiences of evacuees. There was also an Air Cadet and we both had to stay the night at ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ London, and slept in the air raid shelter. The programme was introduced by Robert Donat, the actor, and we were interviewed by a lady ....... Marr and a gentleman, a famous author whose name escapes me!! Ah the come back - C.B. Show. The orchestra was conducted by Muir Matheson.

It was a wonderful experience and of course the whole family listened to the programme on Boxing Day.

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