During the second world war, children were evacuated from Great Yarmouth to the village of Upper Broughton.

We have a grainy photograph of 40 children and two teachers and the caption says “Children of Northgate Junior School photographed at their new home at Upper Broughton, Nottinghamshire”; the newspaper is dated Saturday August 17 1940.

The Upper Broughton History Group has been awarded a grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund to look at village history between the 1930s and 1960s. We are looking at five topics: the war, Broughton school, farming, working life and how people enjoyed themselves. So far we have collected reminiscences from villagers and designed a pack for our local primary school. We are going to build a website and produce some booklets on village history and between May 17 and 19 we are mounting an exhibition in the village hall.

Several villagers talked to us about the evacuees who lived here during the war, but only recently have we discovered this photograph.

We would be very interested in hearing from anyone in Yarmouth who may have lived in our village during the war. When did you arrive here? How did you get here and when did you return home? What did you bring with you? Who did you live with? Were brother and sisters kept together or split up? Did the two teachers in the school photo come with you?

And what did you do when you were not at school? Did you help work on the farms? Who can you remember?

The majority of the children in the photograph are smiling, did you enjoy living in Upper Broughton or were you desperate to return home? Did you see your parents during the war? Did they visit you? Who did you play with?

We would be delighted to hear from anyone who remembers living in our village during the war. My email address is rer412@btinternet.com or you can write to me at Mill House, Upper Broughton, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE14 3BG.

ROSEMARY RUSSELL