A PENSIONER has marked the 70th anniversary of her evacuation from Teesside by revisiting the North Yorkshire town where she spent the war years.

Frances Demain was 12 when she was billeted with a family in Malton, North Yorkshire, at the start of the Second World War.

Mrs Demain, then a pupil at St Mary’s Convent, in Middlesbrough, made the journey by train, accompanied by fellow pupils and nuns.

The 82-year-old, who now lives in Ripon, is president of the town’s writers’ group and has written down her memories of the journey and arrival for her grandchildren.

She wrote: “The first thing I noticed was the air. So fresh and clean with a tantalising aroma, which we later found out to be malt from the adjacent brewery.

“There was a large marquee, where we were issued with a bag of emergency rations for our future householders.

“We formed a line and marched through the streets lined with people, some clapping, others crying, to the Milton Rooms, where we were introduced to the kind people who would look after us.

“From then on we knew we were welcome and made to feel at home.”

The 82-year-old said she found Malton to be a big contrast to her home town of Thornaby.

“On Teesside, there was always lots of noise, smoke and fog,” she said. “When we got to Malton, we saw these clear skies and all the countryside.

“To us, it was like boarding school. It was such a happy time. There was a war on, but we weren’t touched by it.”

Mrs Demain marked the anniversary yesterday by revisiting the town and looking for places she remembered.

Although the town hall, Milton Rooms and church were still there, she said areas of the town had changed greatly over the years.

“I’ve not been for five or six years and it’s changed even since then,” she added.

After leaving Malton, Mrs Demain trained as a secretary, before becoming an opera singer. She later joined Cleveland Police for a short period where she met her husband.

After deciding this was not the career for her, she retrained as a singing teacher.