AN interesting but anonymous e-mail has come from Milton Keynes in response to a query about local families acting as hosts for evacuees.

This mystery reader says: "I was born on January 25, 1933, at 1 Spencer Street, St Albans .

"My ex, Bill, was born on March 3, 1931, in Inkerman Road.

"His dad was a milkman with a horse-drawn milk float.

"His family had one evacuee, a boy, when they lived in Lattimore Road.

"Everyone who had room had to take an evacuee.

"My family had by then moved to Tyttenhanger.

"We were not able to take any evacuees because we lived in a small cottage and there were three of us children, but two girls were billeted in the village.

"Vida Mitchell and her sister I can't remember the name were with the Jones family.

"The evacuees used to catch the bus to Camp School at I think 8.30am with us and I remember we were taken once by the school to a party at Ashwell House, somewhere down Verulam Road, with them.

"Hill End Hospital was then used by Barts to treat wounded service men who came by Green Line buses with taped windows to make safe any glass broken by bombs.

"The buses came via London Colney through our part of the village.

"I also remember the WS Green shop in Chequer Street well.

"My mother made our school dresses from fabric bought there."

Regular correspondent Brenda Gilson also remembers WS Green's.

She told me: "It was a department store one of about three in St Albans.

"It was about the best place to buy dress-making materials they had a fantastic fabric department.

"They didn't have any tills. They put the money in a bullet-shaped container on the counter which shot off across the shop to the accounts department.

"It was very strange I think it must have worked by compressed air.

"I worked there part-time in the mid-1960's.

"I was in the carpets and curtains department, which was below ground.

"I had a tiny office a cupboard with no windows or anything. Upstairs was a labyrinth of stairs and corners.

"My boss was Mr Trickey, and there was also a Mr Mainwearing.

"It was a funny old place, but it's such a shame it closed."

June 14, 2002 14:00