St Paul's service marks 70th anniversary

For some, the 1939 evacuation of children from London at the onset of the Second World War was almost an extended holiday, a chance to enjoy country life while their families endured the horrors of the Blitz.

For others, it was a time of loneliness and bullying by rural school fellows.

A crowd of more than 2,000 gathered at St Paul's Cathedral today for a service to mark the 70th anniversary of the first evacuations.

Among those at St Paul's was Gordon Abbott, 76, who at seven, was sent from Battersea to Cornwall to live on a farm with a childless couple.

He said: "I was one of the lucky ones. The couple treated me as their son and I was accepted into their extended family."

James Rossey, who was evacuated from Camberwell to West Sussex, was among those who saw it as a holiday. "I was quite excited and saw it as a great adventure," he said.

Among the celebrity evacuees was the broadcaster Michael Aspel, 76, who was sent from Wandsworth to Chard, Somerset, where the local children were less than welcoming.

He said: "There was a tremendous punch-up - but we all fought back of course."