15.08.2009
Hello my name is Leonard Harris and I have been looking at the nantlle.com
website and I would like to contribute to it with
my memories.
 I was born in Liverpool
on 18-11-1935 the war came soon after in 1939 and I
was evacuated to
North Wales
with my older brother William (Billy) Harris. We went
to stay with a family called Mr & Mrs Owen they lived at an address Llanllyfni near Penygroes, the address was
Siop Uchaf, 121 Rhedyw Road Llanllyfni. We lived there
all through the Second World War, we called them Uncle
Bob and Auntie May and they had 1 child called Doreen
who i think was a nurse.
We were well treat and were like 2 sons to them, well
dressed and well fed. I loved the home made bread that
they sold from the front room of their house. Also
living in the area was other children who had been
evacuated from Liverpool. All the local people were
very friendly and 1 family called Hughes were very
nice. They lived at the bottom of the village on a
council estate. I can recall the names of 3 of the
family, Tommy, Blodwin and Gwyneth. I came back to
visit on holiday many times after the war had ended
and i was always welcome. I wrote to Mr & Mrs
Owen on many occasions.
Then in 1953 I enlisted in the army and served until
1956. While serving at Barnard Castle I met a local
girl who I then married and moved to Whitburn near
Sunderland from Liverpool. With moving I mislaid the
contact details of the people I met and lived with
and lost touch with Uncle Bob and Auntie May which
I was very upset about as I was very close to them.
Then in 2008 I revisited the area and found the house
I once called home. I knocked on the door hoping that
a member of the family still lived there and spoke
to a nice lady called Mrs Parry who was the current
occupant and we had a long chat about our memories
of the area during the Second World War and the evacuees
like myself. I remember Mrs Roberts across the road
had evacuees and the family butchers on the opposite
corner may also have had an evacuee staying with them.
My memories of the area were the Plaza Picture House
next to the cattle market where we spent many happy
hours. I would love for any living relatives of Mr & Mrs
Owen to get in touch with me via my email address Leo3Lions@aol.com or if there is anyone else who can remember me or my
brother to also feel free to contact me. The picture
I have enclosed was taken when I was living in the
area. I would also like to know the name of the school
I would have attended when I was living in Llanllyfni.
I look forward to hear from anyone and hope to get
to know a little bit more about the wonderful times
I had in your village.
With Best Regards,
Leonard Harris.
Leo3Lions@aol.com |
