THERE cannot be many people alive who can remember being greeted with a "Good morning ladies" from Winston Churchill.

But Renee Dubois can recall it vividly.

As she walked to the War Office past Downing Street, she used to see him most mornings and he would give her and her pals a cheery wave

She said: "He used to tell us to keep up the good work before giving us the famous Victory sign."

Renee was a young stenographer who ended up working at Bushy Park for General Dwight D. Eisenhower who planned the D-Day landings from Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force.

It was all a far cry from her home town of Bolton where her parents used to have the Odd Fellows Arms in Daubhill and where a young Renee went to Brandwood School before training as a stenographer at Bolton technical College.

Today Renee lives in upstate New York and at the age 94 still has strong memories of her hometown Bolton and was delighted when we sent her a copy of our anniversary supplement celebrating 150 years of The Bolton News.

Talking via Skype, Renee who was born Renee Asma told us about her days as a Dinky Dot the famous dance troupe in the town.

Renee said: "I just loved them. I have some wonderful memories." And she was pictured in the Bolton Evening News way back in the 1930s performing a daring acrobatics move with her another Dinky Dot Joy Makin. She was with the troupe for 12 years in the 20s and 30s

But Renee's destiny was not in Bolton but across the Pond in America.

She met her GI husband Don and they were married just two days before he was sent to France and she had to stay at the war office in London.

He was gone for two years.

But they were reunited when as a GI bride Renee was one of 3,600 women who crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary to start their new lives.

Unfortunately Don died at the age of 57, but she worked throughout her life, firstly for five attorneys, at a high school and at a prison correction facility.

However she has been back to Bolton many times and still has a cousin in Deane Road,

But she recalls on one visit: "The railway station was not in the same place where it had been when I left!"

Renee has packed a lot into her life.

She remembers seeing famous band leader Glenn Miller in London in December 1944.

She said: " He was playing at the Queensbury Club. He had played all night and told us he was leaving for France that night and the band would be following."

But as everyone knows, he never made it — his plane disappeared over the Channel.

Renee is still young at heart although she is recovering from a broken shoulder.

And it was thanks to her occupational therapist Adele Heath, an New Zealander who is looking after her, that our Skype conversation happened.

She knew of Renee's love of her hometown and came across a badge with Bolton on it.

She said: "I thought I would see what else I could find and when I went on the internet, The Bolton News came up with the 150th anniversary supplement."

She contacted our office and we made contact and sent a copy to her.

Renee said: "I just loved it, it was very impressive."

As for Renee's broken shoulder, when asked how she injured it she said: "I was doing a 1920s Flapper dance and slipped!"

Before signing off on Skype, Renee sent her love to Bolton and of course to her beloved Bolton Wanderers.

"A big kiss to you all," she said.