A PENSIONER is celebrating 60 years in England after being evacuated from Guernsey as an 11-year-old during the Second World War.

Elizabeth Haworth, aged 71, came to England in June 1940 with her sister and cousin.

Even though she spent her first three weeks sleeping on a school floor in Weymouth, she instantly fell in love with the place. So much so, that when she returned to Guernsey in 1946, she could not stay for more than two months and quickly hurried back.

She contacted the BEN after seeing a letter from a newspaper on the island appealing for evacuees to get in touch.

She said: "I see England as my home because I've been here for so long now.

"It's a lovely place and it is really nice to be able to shop in Bolton, Bury and Manchester.

"I love Bolton. It has a lovely town hall and I think they've done a wonderful job of Victoria Square."

Mrs Haworth, who lives in Ramsbottom, was among 17,000 of the island's 40,000 population to leave Guernsey in 1940 as the advancing German troops invaded.

Towns like Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Nantwich and Halifax all took children in.

Mrs Haworth came to England with her entire school and admitted she was unaware of the true consequences. She said: "For me it was an adventure and I didn't realise the seriousness of the situation at the time.

"Leaving my parents behind didn't bother me, to be honest. I came over with my sister and my cousin and my auntie often came to see us.

"We didn't think we'd be staying as long but I don't think I'd ever want to go back.

"Not now, anyway."

She said she remembers the times she spent swimming in the sea and the close-knit communities of her young childhood.

But when it came to the unpredictable weather, Mrs Haworth expressed surprise.

She said: "We didn't have snow in Guernsey so when I came over and it started snowing, I didn't know what it was.

"I didn't like it and still don't.

"It's cold."