A WARTIME refugee took a trip down memory lane when he revisited Norton Fitzwarren almost 80 years on.

Villagers pulled out all the stops to give Donald King a day to remember when he returned to Norton on Saturday.

Parish council vice-chairman Mike Palmer organised a welcome committee in the village hall for Mr King, his wife, daughter and son-in-law.

There were speeches and refreshments and Taunton Deane Deputy Mayor Cllr Catherine Herbert presented Mr King with photos of the village from the 1940s, Ruth Johnson's book 100 Years of Norton Fitzwarren and a scroll to mark the occasion.

The guests were then given a guided tour of the village by David Hinton and even stopped outside the house where Mr King lived during the Second World War.

Mr Palmer told the County Gazette: "Some five weeks ago I got a telephone call from Wendy Edwards (Mr King's daughter) saying he'd been evacuated to Norton Fitzwarren during the war and it was his dying wish at 84 to come back and see the village.

"I made some enquiries and with the help of the hall chairman and a load of volunteers within the village, a plan was put into place to make Donald's visit one to remember, not only for him but the village as well.

"After a lot of work with the help of some older members of the village Donald's age and some digging by my wife and me at the heritage centre, it was found that not only was he billeted in Norton, but also three of his cousins who were also christened in the church."

Mr Palmer added: "We in Norton were very happy to do this small thing, to bring good memories back to what we can only say is one of our own.

"Yes, he was only with us for a short time in the 40s, but he remembered us for almost 80 years and the pleasure we had in his company for just a few short hours will stay with us for years to come.

"We are a good village, a friendly village, a village who cares about its residents, and I would like to thank everyone who helped to make this day so happy for one man."