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I lived with my Mum, sister and brothers in Wavertree, Liverpool. On September 3rd 1939 I was evacuated to Caernarfonshire, Wales, along with Marjorie, my older brother Eric, and all of the pupils at Earle Road School. We went by train, and were taken to the Bethel Village School for ‘selection’. I was 9 years old, and Marjorie was 6, and a farmer and his wife who had no children picked us. We looked on it as an adventure. We loved the animals although we found them strange, having lived in a city. Marjorie and I were there for five years.

There was an Italian Prisoner of War working on the farm, his name was Pietro Antonuchi. Pietro spoke English so we had no trouble understanding him. Like all POW’s he had to wear a uniform, which had a Big Diamond on the back. I remember he tried to teach me how to ride a bike, which I just about managed, but I have never ridden a bike since!

I used to collect the hens at night, usually from the trees where they were perched, and put them in the hen house. I remember one hen, which must have been broody, sat on ducks eggs till they hatched — we had to carry the ducklings to the water! One of the worst things on the farm was seeing chickens being killed, it may be that which put me off chicken for good. Funnily enough, Marjorie never eats chicken either.

Mum probably visited about once every 6 months, she was a nurse, and strangely enough went to Anglesey and looked after evacuees in a vicarage!

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