WW2 evacuees to be commemorated in Ramsbottom

Reporter: Kevin Burke
Date online: 08 October 2010

World War Two evacuees will be commemorated in a special event in Ramsbottom.

At the Library and Adult Learning Centre, on Thursday 28 October, between 1 and 3pm, a research project between Bury Archives and Gill Mawson, a researcher from Manchester University, will describe these difficult times.

Youngsters from Guernsey fled to Bury and Tottington to escape the war, and some settled here afterwards. The story of children leaving their hometown and families to live with strangers in unfamiliar surroundings will be told to people who could never imagine such a life.

Visitors can chat and share stories with visitors from Guernsey and watch a short film about evacuation from the point of view of three local people.

Ms Mawson will also run an activity for families, where she will depict the things an evacuee would be allowed to take in their small suitcase.

Also, you can have your own wartime evacuation memories recorded forever by the North West Sound Archive. This service was founded in 1979 to record and preserve sound recordings relevant to life in the North West of England for future generations and holds the largest collection of sound recordings outside London. For further information visit their website:

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/view.asp?siteid=2856&pageid=4970&e=e