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I remember being evacuated once to South Wales where I lived with family of four children. I was the youngest, too young to go to school. Used to go up to the lane and wave them off to school. Every night at half past five a shire horse used to come up the hill and all five of us would ride up the hill on the shire horse.

Then I was evacuated to Port Slade, near Brighton where I was the only child there. I attended a dance school but I couldn’t even skip so I used to hop round on one leg!!
The family I was with were moving and on the moving day I had fleas and they kept washing my hair every half hour.
I also remember being asked to shell some peas but I threw the peas away and kept the pods!

We never saw a banana or corned beef for years. We had to eat egg powder, which had a horrible taste — made scrambled eggs with it.

At 18 months old I had a nanny and I remember mother asked for an official photograph. I stood there with my teddy, without my socks pulled up properly and my knickers were showing beneath my dress — mother was furious!!

In London Mum used to take me up to Regents Park but wouldn’t take me down to the shelters. She was terrified of going in shelters and preferred being out in the open. I could hear planes overhead and remember the sirens signalling for us all to get down there. It was a serious threat and the bombs did a lot of damage in London, 1940 especially. When you came out the shelters you never knew if you would have a house or not.

I then stayed with a host family who were friends of my mother. I felt at home with them despite not knowing them before.
I can still remember dad, who could fit two digestive biscuits in mouth at same time!!
Our kitchen sink doubled up as a bath and table — board over for table, board off for bath time.

I think it’s really important to share memories.

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