New book gives fascinating insight into life in Somerset village during the war

A book has been published based on the letters of teacher, Nellie Clemens, to her husband Wilfred.

Nellie arrived in the village of Milverton with her daughter in 1940 to teach children evacuated from London and other cities, including Bristol.

She was a prolific writer - sometimes sending more than one letter a day - describing the minutiae of village life. Author, Elizabeth McDowell says she wrote in great detail about the black outs, make and mend parties, the village's Dads' Army and the American troops billeted in tents close by.

But she wasn't always complimentary about the child evacuees:

Nellie's youngest daughter, Linda Yerrill, had no idea the letters even existed. She was born nine months after Nellie was reunited with her husband at Christmas:

One evacuee, John Ling, remembers just what it was like living in Milverton at the time:

The book is called Darlingest, because Nellie began every letter with the words My Darling.