'We'll Meet Again,' warbled Vera Lynn in the dark days of the Second World War.

And the 'Forces Favourite' never got it so right, as a former evacuee renewed acquaintance with Shaldon residents.

It happened at the village's Over 60s club where a group of friends who lived through the war years met again for the first time in 60 years.

Poignant photographs depicting how children got on with life during the war hung on the walls and people searched school registers looking for familiar names.

Guest of honour was Colin Panter, of Portsmouth, who was evacuated from that city to Shaldon and became a friend of Colin Ingram.

The reunion was organised by Mr Ingram, who decided to track down his namesake through the internet and Portsmouth council.

Mr Panter and his wife Pat were going to visit their daughter in Kingsteignton, so a reunion fitted in with that arrangement.

Among the memories were those of a bomb which narrowly missed Suzie Westlake, who was elderly and stone deaf, and did not hear it explode. She was stunned to find an enormous crater a few yards away from her and to this day nothing has grown successfully in that spot at the allotments.

Joyce Hook recalled the post-war gig and punt chases when a group of Hook men donned women's dresses and hats and climbed into a gig to turf a Mr Thomas out of his punt.

The oldest person present was Edna Mole, 93.

Mr Panter and Mr Ingram cut a celebratory cake.