Student evacuees roll back the years at Iscoyd Park

Five college friends with a combined age of nearly 450 rolled back the years at a Shropshire border stately home to celebrate the 70th anniversary of their evacuation from wartime London.

The five women, all in their late 80s, gathered at Iscoyd Park, near Whitchurch, yesterday for an emotional reunion where they were given a celebration lunch by the Godsal family, who own the property.

The women were all students at St Godric's Secretarial College in Hampstead, and in 1941 were the first evacuees at Iscoyd before the park was requisitioned for use as a hospital for the US forces.

Yesterday the women came to the Shropshire border from a village down the road and as far away as the south of France.

Sheenagh Bradbury, who lives in Malpas, said: "I live nearby and have very occasionally returned to Iscoyd since the war but this is the first time some of the ladies have revisited.

"We were met by Philip Godsal and his son and daughter-in-law who currently live at Iscoyd, and treated to a very good lunch.

"We were then shown around the house by Mr Godsal. We all found it fascinating to see how the house had changed. Some remembered it better than others."

It was an emotional return to Iscoyd for Sonia Vanular, who travelled from Menton in southern France.

She married a member of the Canadian Air Force in 1944 and had her wedding reception at the stately home. But by 1945 her husband had died.

She said: "It's lovely to be back. I'm feeling very nostalgic and quite emotional because this was where I had my wedding reception in my 20s. It's really been beautifully restored though."

She added she used to join friends for bike rides to Ellesmere in the summer and swim in a pool there.

Catherine Fisher, who travelled from Stroud in Gloucestershire, said: "It was wonderful to be back after so many years and I think it made all of us survivors feel quite young again.

She added: "It is lovely to see these incredible surroundings being used as a wedding venue now."

Marguerite McGuire said that they had all enjoyed their time at Iscoyd during the war even though the quality of food had been very poor.

"The reunion was a huge treat and we were given a wonderful lunch," said Mrs McGuire who lives in Hampshire.

Fellow Hampshire resident Eleanor Roscoe said she was delighted to be back at Iscoyd Park with some familiar faces.

By Tom Johannsen