Peggy reasoned that Charlie would be too big for the bunk beds now, so the double in what had once been Ron’s room should suit him just fine. Having cleaned the windows, swept the floor and made the bed, she smoothed the colourful eiderdown over it and then attacked the rather decrepit old chest of drawers with polish and a duster. Once she’d lined the drawers with fresh paper, she remembered the collection of medals Ron had hidden on top of the wardrobe, so she checked they weren’t still there, then dusted that inside and out as well.

It was finally ready, but as she stood in the doorway she saw how bleak and bare it all looked, so she went into the second room that Charlie and Bob had shared before being evacuated, which felt like a lifetime ago. Peggy gave a deep sigh, remembering how young they’d been when they’d left. Rummaging through the collection of boxes that had sat on the bunk beds ever since, she discovered they mostly contained very battered toy cars, old comics and annuals, worn slingshots and tarnished toy guns that Charlie must surely have grown out of by now. But digging deeper, she found a slightly soft football, a cricket bat, and a junior fishing rod, complete with a tin of flies, hooks, weights and spare line. She didn’t know if they’d be of any interest to him now, but at least they’d make the room look more homely and welcoming.

She placed everything neatly at the bottom of Charlie’s bed, and on her return to the other room in search of more treasure, spotted the large box which contained Bob’s precious clockwork train set. The boys had fought over it, she remembered, and had wanted to take it with them to Somerset, but Jim had been very firm about it staying here so the pieces wouldn’t get lost. Peggy smiled. It was just an excuse really, for it was Jim and Ron who’d played with it the most.

She hauled it down to find it was covered in dust and clinging cobwebs which made her sneeze as she dusted them away. But the trains and tracks, signal boxes and carriages inside were still as good as new, so she carried it into the other room and placed it on the bed with all the other bits and pieces. Bob had jealously guarded his train set when he was younger, but as he seemed to be more interested in cows and girls now, he probably wouldn’t mind passing it on to Charlie. Or at least, she hoped he wouldn’t.