Wartime memories spur Ron to write his memoirs (From This Is Wiltshire)

COMEDY writer turned historian Ron Burchell enjoyed a successful launch of his World War Two memoirs this weekend.

Ron Burchell, 83, aims to take readers on a trip down memory lane to when he was a schoolboy living under the barrage of German bombing raids during World War II.

What began as a flick through the history books became a two-year journey to pen his memories of what life was like in the town and now people can pick up a copy at Waterstone’s in the Brunel Centre, where Ron was on Saturday to promote his book Saucepans On Our Heads, published by Ex Libris Press, based in Bradford-on-Avon.

Ron’s book picks up the trail in 1939 and follows life in Swindon through to the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan and the rebuilding effort after the war. He grew up near his secondary school, in Princes Street, during the conflict and still lives around the corner in the town centre.

Ron said: “I’m known for writing comedy sketches so I was very surprised to find myself writing a book. I’ve had a good response and the local history society was certainly very interested to see the finished product.

“It’s a book about how I coped and the family coped with the war.

“It started when I was reading something in the library and the memories came flooding back. I thought this needs to be written down.”