AN octogenarian who was evacuated to Frome as a six-year-old girl has made a special trip back to the town eighty years later.
Patricia Dixon came to the town in 1941, during World War Two, along with her nanny, and stayed with Mr & Mrs Ernest Jones at Old Ford Farm, at Lullington. After the war she came back on holiday a couple of times to visit, including a Jones’ family diamond wedding celebration in 1949, and then returned with her own family in 1970.
Regularly passing a farm near where she now lives though, which reminded her of the wartime one, made her determined to visit once more.
Somewhat fortuitously, Old Ford Farm is now a holiday destination called Riverside Cottage Holidays, with accommodation made from the original outbuildings.
And when present owner Stephen Leathley took Patricia’s booking and heard of the reason behind it, he contacted Frome Society for Local Study to see if anyone would like to meet her.
The result was a welcoming committee of sorts, earlier this month, to relive her reminiscences and celebrate this trip down memory lane.
Local author and historian David Lassman presented Patricia with a copy of his book ‘Frome at War 1939-45’, which includes a section on evacuees who came to the town.
And Gill Harry and John Payne from Home in Frome, not only presented her with their book ‘Working Memories’ but also recorded her recollections for the website: https://workingmemoriesfrome.co.uk/
Patricia said: “On Sundays Mr Jones used to take us on day trips to places like Longleat. It was a very happy time. I stayed at several places during the war, but Frome is only one I really remember.”
Accompanying Patricia on this weekend trip was daughter Karen Wildgoose and son-in-law Adam Davidson, along with two photo albums that included a photograph of the farm when it became flooded.
Although she remembers her time at the Old Ford Farm fondly, Patricia would love to know more about it during that time, including photographs, as well as the Jones/Ham families.
If anyone has any information, Patricia can be contacted via David Lassman at davidlassman@davidlassman.com
Picture: David Lassman and Patricia Dixon Photo: Gill Harry
