Tale of evacuees set to keep rural railways on track

A NEW children’s book about evacuees fleeing to West Wales by rail during the Second World War has been published.

Anne and Scott had previously written a children’s book for Gwili Steam Railway in 2017 that has since raised hundreds of pounds.

Scott, who lives in Bonllwyn, near Ammanford, said: “I have worked for Anne for over 30 years as her illustrator and she wanted to support me during the Covid crisis. We both lost our normal income streams during lockdown.”

The new book is free for selected heritage railways to use to raise funds after the pandemic.

All sales of the book will go to Gwili Railway, the Heart of Wales Line and Friends of Llandovery Station, Llandovery Station Café Friends, Llandybie Church and the Llandeilo Hub.

The tale is a heartwarming one about evacuee children escaping

Manchester during the December blitz of 1940 and coming to Llandybie where they experience Welsh village life and farm living.

Scott said: “The book was created and researched during lockdown. I spent a year illustrating it and we researched the clothes, farms and which stations and trains were used.

“After a bit of research we decided to base the story in this area of Carmarthenshire.

“This was due to a story in the press about evacuees who stayed in Llandovery and Llandeilo on the local farms.

“We wanted to show the difference between living in an industrial city and the shock of suddenly being a part of a small farming community and learning Welsh and enjoying the culture of 1940s Wales. We also wanted to feature the Heart of Wales railway line community.

“Our first run is a limited first edition run of 500 copies, with more being printed as demand increases.

“Two local primary schools, Tycroes and Llandybie, will also receive copies as part of a world book day assembly I did online.

“Other heritage organisations can request copies to sell to raise funds for their own ends.”

Anyone wishing to puchase a copy of the book can contact Scott by email at artuscreative@ icloud.com

Gwili Steam Railway Preservation Society treasurer Dave Johnson with copies of the new children’s book ‘From the Blitz to the Heart of Wales’ by Anne Signol.