Greta Romaine (nee Clark), aged 78, who now lives at St Leonard’s-on-Sea, recalls life as an evacuee in Kendal during the war.

I have my happiest memories in wartime. Fortunately, at the age of eight I was evacuated from Sidcup to stay with my lovely aunt Olive, who lived in pretty Farm Cottage at Natland Mill Beck Lane at Kendal.

Her husband, Hubert, was serving in the armed forces and we didn’t meet him until he returned five years later.

My great companion of this era was my cousin June, two years older than me, who came to stay with the same auntie. We became like sisters.

We found country life very exciting, especially living next to a busy farm.

We enjoyed activities which we couldn’t have experienced living in town.

Natland Mill Beck Lane became a great feature of our lives.

Every morning we waited to see if the postman would call in his red van with a letter from home and maybe a treat such as a bar of chocolate or a little book.

At night we had to get up with a torch and walk along the lane to our makeshift toilet behind the grey door several yards from the cottage.

One of the pleasures of life along the lane was the gurgling stream running beside it the whole length until it went down to the big wheel of the wood mill below.

We loved to play in the beck. It was clear with a stony bottom and we were able to study the wildlife, such as the stick-like Caddis fly larvae and the crayfish.

There were two cart horses in the nearby field, Prince and Charlie, who liked to see us when they weren't working.

Sometimes the farmer would allow us to sit on their backs.

At haymaking time we were allowed to ride on the flat bumpy carts and go up the lane into the fields to play in the hay.

We were literally very close to nature and could touch the cows as they came past our doorstep to go to the farm for milking.

In the lane we played hopscotch, whip and tops, skipping, marbles, ball games and bow and arrows.

In winter the canal froze over so we would go to slide on the ice for many an hour. In summer we would watch the barges sailing along, pulled by big horses and ropes. We would walk to Watercrook farm and play along the riverbanks.

We paddled sometimes but were wary of the blood-sucking leeches – people frightened us by saying that if they stuck to you they would never let go!