MIKE TOWNSEND, of Holbury, Southampton, writes:

As a very young lad, not yet six years old, I was a private evacuee to Higher Batson, being brought up there by Mr and Mrs Adams at the home of her parents Mr and Mrs Steer, The Perrotts. I went to Courtney Street infants, Salcombe Boys and Kings-bridge Grammar before returning to Welling after VE Day.

Now I have often wondered about the house name, The Perrotts and have finally, at the age of 80-plus got around to trying to find out after reading Sisters Against the Sea where the name of Perrott came up as a local builder of the Prouts Hotel. Could there be any connection I wondered?

My daughter and son-in-law checked via the internet and found: J & G Perrott, 15 Duncombe Street. A family of Perrotts in and around Malborough in the 1841 census there are: Daniel Perrott, 15 (apprentice); Mary Perrott, 50; Robert Perrott, 20 (carpenter); and Unity Perrott, 12, all of Fore Street, Salcombe. There is also Mr Perrott of Garston named as trustee in the will of William Duncombe (undated).

So could it be the house was named after the original builder or owner? But now the trail has gone cold, perhaps your readers could help me.

Nowadays the house is a holiday let and very different from my time there; also the vast amount of ground, orchards and gardens are no more.

I attend the annual ex-pats reunion, held each year on the last Thursday of May, at Cliff House, Salcombe, organised by Edward Hannaford, a proper Salcombe man if ever there was.

I never seen a report of the event. Before long there will be none of us left, evacuees, old Salcombe boys and girls, and ex-pats returning for the day must be getting fewer, but I feel I don't need to say how much copy could be gleaned from all the people at the 'do'.