Happy memories for Liverpool evacuees

A group of Liverpool residents who were evacuated to north Wales at the start of World War II were treated to a trip down memory lane on Wednesday when they spent a day revisiting their old haunts across the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

For two of the party, Jean Griffith (nee Capewell) and Barbara Adams (nee Simcock) it was a reunion for two lifelong friends. Jean – who grew up in Llanfair DC, and Barbara became firm friends when Barbara was taken in by Jean’s family. The two have kept in touch throughout the intervening 70 years.

Barbara said: “We have stayed friends ever since we met. We were eight years old at the time and have never lost touch in all these years.”

The group’s day began with refreshments at the Ruthin Craft Centre – ironically, this is the site of the former railway station and would have been the evacuees first view of Wales as they left the train station.

The group were then taken on a tour of Ruthin before lunch at the Craft Centre and then were taken back through the villages where they stayed.

Laurie Lloyd, who was evacuated to Pentrecelyn, said: “I have happy memories from my time as an evacuee - it did help you learn to look after yourself which stood you in good stead for when you were conscripted, which was shortly after you left school in those days.

"The people I was put with were good people - chapel people. They lived simply but were very caring and generous with all that they had. There was great camaraderie in those days and everyone played their part in the war effort."

Kath Burrows (nee Cannell) – evacuated to Llanelidan with her younger brother and two younger sisters.

Kath recalled how it was quite traumatic at first. She'd had strict instructions from her mother to make sure she was kept with her siblings. She and her family were housed with an elderly and unmarried woman who looked after her own 85 year old father.

"It must have been extremely difficult for her to suddenly take on a young family from the city but she coped extremely well," she said.

"It was a completely different way of life and I think the change and upheaval was felt as much by the people who took us in - as much as we were affected.

"I was called back after about six months to help my mother look after my youngest sister and the new baby."

The event was organised by the staff of the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty as part of a programme of activities to celebrate our historic links with Liverpool and the recent publication of the Liverpool to Loggerheads book by AONB staff and Lorna Jenner. It was also being filmed by film-maker Estelle Condliff and the footage will be used by the BBC online service.

image (C) David Quinn / CC BY-SA 2.0