They arrived together as evacuees early in the war and were taken in by Fred and Win Smith at Millcroft. They clearly came from a poor household in the East End of London. Fred and Win bathed them as soon as they got to Millcroft - not clear that they had ever seen a bath! Dad immediately burnt all their clothes and they were fitted out with new ones.

Vicky went back to London at some stage before the war ended but Kathy stayed in Mersea. She was adopted (I am not sure if this was a formal or informal adoption) by Tom and Emmie Clarry. Tom and Emmie had one child but it died of 'blue baby syndrome' after a few days. Kathy worked at the bakery until she married Paul Vogel in 1954 and they moved to Wenhaston (Suffolk) where he had his own farm Janet Farthing and I had holidays there. Paul and Kathy had two children but then split up and Kathy returned to Millcroft. She then married a man from Colchester. Judy Davis/Farthing kept in touch with Kathy and could provide more information.

Vicky married Dave Watling in 1954. They had a tandem-cycle with a little motor on the back wheel. The cycled from London to Mersea after their wedding and spent their honeymoon at Millcroft. They came to Mersea for a number of holidays at Millcroft. Vicky worked in the 'rag trade' in London and I remember that she could thread a needle in the blink of an eye and sew on a button in about three blinks more. No doubt she was paid for the number of pieces she produced as was common in that trade. Dave and Vicky had two children and later moved to Crawley.