About the contributor

On 11 — 13 November 2005, the BBC People's War team and volunteers from BBC WM CSV Action Desk, hosted a series of Tea and Tales events at the BBC Public Space in The Mailbox, Birmingham.

Ruffles Re-enactors came too, dressed as servicemen and as characters from the Home Front: the Land Army, a Munitions factory, and WVS volunteer.

Over 200 visitors turned up over the three days, bringing with them their wartime photographs, maps, medals and letters. Looking through each other's memorabilia brought back many memories for the WW2 veterans who came along, whilst children and grandchildren listened to their stories with great interest and often surprise at their relatives' exploits.

The stories collected during the 2005 events have been entered onto the site via the personal page of BBC WM CSV Action Desk (bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/U1449925).

Last year, during the week leading up to Remembrance Sunday 2004, the BBC People's War team presented a display of wartime stories and photographs from the West Midlands. On Remembrance Sunday (14 November 2004), a group of WW2 veterans and evacuees attended a short Rededication Ceremony for the BBC War Memorial which is now displayed in the Mailbox. During the week, volunteers collected stories from visitors to the Mailbox, which you can read below.