'We have been evacuated'

Olive Shapley visits Bacup in Lancashire to speak to children who have been evacuated from Manchester. The youngsters are eager to reassure their loved-ones back home that they're well and enjoying the experience, while their 'new parents' are enthusiastic about the prospect of having a family, in some cases for the first time.

The interviews capture regional accents at a time when the 'Alexandra Palace' voice dominated broadcasting. There are no records to show when, or even if, this recording was broadcast, or whether it was solely transmitted within the BBC North region. It is possible that some of the interviews were subsequently included in one of Olive Shapley's later productions, Children Talking.

Originally broadcast 10 September 1939.