Crowning the Sunday queen

The photo was sent in by Mary Needle, nee Ellis, who is pictured on the far left.

She said the celebration was organised by the deacon Frank Hewkin, seen centre, who was well known in the village.

His son, called Frankie, is standing to the left of his father.

Mrs Needle said: “I think the photo was taken in 1941 or ‘42. Jenny Hubbard was the queen and is in the middle wearing her crown.”

“The boy on the back left was called Alec and he was an evacuee.”

The girl to the right of Mrs Needle was Margaret Straker, the boy holding the cross was Georgie Barnet, and the older boy, back right, was John King.

The girl to the front of him was Joyce Franklin, the boy to the side of her was Jimmy Straker and the boy front right was Brian Doughty.

Mrs Needle’s parents took in two evacuees from Birmingham.

She said: “We took a boy called Derek Jenkinson but then the lady from next door but one came round and said she had his younger brother and he wouldn’t stop crying.”

“So my mum said to bring him round to see if that would settle him, which it did. But then he didn’t want to go back to the other house so my mum said he could stay with us as well.”