Last year, a letter to the Ross Gazette regarding a World War II evacuee, Charles Doughty, sparked memories of Ross during this period for one former resident, Barbara Freeman, who was known as Barbara Woodroffe when she was a child living in Ross-on-Wye.

Barbara lived in Brookend Street, in the large house next to the new Aldi store – Millbrook House. [Millbrook House was built by Edward Prichard, of the well-known Quaker family. Their descendants lived there for many years and Dr. James Cowles Prichard (1786-1848) was born there. Dr. James Cowles Prichard qualified as a doctor in 1810 and went on to be an internationally renowned doctor of diseases of the nervous system.]

Barbara’s father was the district manager for the SWS, which later became the Midlands Electricity Board, and was responsible for overseeing the introduction of electricity to most of Ross. She recalls the tremendous amount of work involved in installing the underground cabling and she can remember a gas power station on the site where Aldi is now.

Her family were also staunch members of the non conformist church and, as well as filling the house with many refugee families, they also organised a lot of social events. Barbara can remember that there always seemed to be something going on. She added: “It seems terrible to say it now, but as a child it was a wonderful time in Ross during the war, we did not really have food shortages and I remember it really well.”

Her friend, Marian, said that it was a bit different for those who had loved ones serving in the forces. She said that, for the adults times were very worrying but for young children it was a time of new friends.

Two schools were evacuated to Ross during the war which meant there were always children to play with, even though they often had to attend school on Saturdays to make up for missing time in the week. Barbara had just started at the Monmouth School when war broke out, she said there was about 300 pupils at the school then, but when the George Green School, from London joined them it doubled the number of children. Channing School for Girls was also evacuated to Ross. The older pupils were at the Chase and younger ones were accommodated at Weston under Penyard.

Many friendships were made, and Barbara also knows of several marriages, not just between pupils but also their teachers.

Barbara still loves Ross and visits as often as she can, staying at Merton House.