[jamesicus]

The first major crisis came in May 1940. For us in counties like Lancashire the only event of real significance since the declaration of war on Sunday, 3 September 1939, was the arrival of evacuees from London and the south of England soon after that date.

We housed two boys from Kent: Colin and Martin (I can't remember their full names or exactly where they were from -- the passing of the years dims my memory on fine points) who were around my age (I was eleven) and they were assigned to my school. We got along together pretty well -- we soon organized a Lancashire vs Kent cricket match (local lads versus the evacuees) in the field back of my Auntie's house. They soon returned to their homes in Kent -- that happened quite a lot -- homesickness and family love overcame the threat of bombing.