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Many people, still alive, will no doubt remember the tension in England before Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain waved his piece of paper at Croydon Airport after returning from discussions with Adolf Hitler in 1938. "Peace in our time" the headlines in all the newspapers shouted at us.

I was a small boy at one of the many primary schools in London at the time. One day we were given a note to take home to our parents which carried details of an evacuation scheme for all children in the London area in case war was declared.

The note informed our parents that all children had to report to the school the next morning, complete with a suitcase containing a change of clothes, a pack containing food for a days journey and reading material.

Parents were told not to come to the school with their children. I remember lining up in the school playground with my suitcase, gas mask in a cardboard box and my lunch bag together with a copy of "Beano" and "Dandy" comics to read on the train. In case we got lost everyone had a large label tied to their clothing giving name and home address.

After we had stood for about half an hour with teachers milling about, trying to keep order amongst the more unruly of us, we were told that the war was off and we could all go home.

What a treat, a day off school and lots of good things to eat, including apples, oranges and a chocolate bar and comics to read.

My mother was surprised to find me still at home, when she came home from her work that evening.

The real 'Evacuation' was to be a whole year away and not half so much fun as this one had been.

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