I was born in 1943 and went to nursery at two years old because I cried when I had to go home and my older sister could stay at school.

I was given a little bed with a train embroidered on it, so I knew it was mine and we all had a sleep in the afternoon. On waking up all the children were given drinks of cod liver oil and then drinks of orange juice served in fish paste jars. I used to wait at the back of the queue for oil, then pushed to the front of the queue for juice because first served got bigger jars, then smaller jars at the end of the queues.

The room was heated by a big open fire in a boiler. My bed was near the boiler and one day I didn't wake up properly because the boiler was faulty and gassed me. When the news leaked out, I had my picture in the paper showing me sitting on a rocking horse with a handkerchief pinned to my dress, so I didn't lose it. Mum always made sure I had one with me, even when I was little.

I was three years old when this happened.