A CHESTER pensioner has been reunited with the wartime gas mask she was issued with than 75 years ago thanks to a slice of good luck and a cafe owner’s good detective work.

June Hughes, 87, was born and bred in Kendal, Cumbria, but has lived in the Hoole Lane area of Chester for more than 50 years.

June married a railwayman and moved south to Chester in 1963 and forgot all about the war-issue gas mask she left stored in the attic of 46 Branthwaite Brow, the house she moved to in 1949in the Hallgarth area of Kendal.

Chester and District Standard:

The wartime child's gaskmask that belonged to June

But after the mask was discovered, still in its cardboard box, it was handed to James Tucker, the proprietor of Yard 46 Cafe as it still had the cafe’s 46 Branthwaite Brow address and June’s name clearly visible on the side of the cardboard box.

James set about trying to trace June, whose maiden name was Robinson, but had drawn a blank until her brother-in-law was enjoying a coffee in the Yard 46 cafe and heard James talking about his research and efforts to track down June.

The brother-in-law was able to inform James that June was alive and well and living in Chester.

James invited June to Yard 46 so she could see her former home as it is today and to offer her the gas mask as a gift.

And June says she was delighted to have been able to make the trip to see her former home and gas mask and it had been wonderful helping her recall memories of what was a very different time.

June said: “It’s just amazing. I lived at 46 Branthwaite Brow from birth up until I was 18 with my father, Moses Henry Robinson and mother Enid, whose maiden name was Dirkin. My dad operated Kendal’s first taxi and I still have one of his business cards.

“The accommodation we had at Branthwaite Brow was really small. We had one a living room which was also doubled as a kitchen.

“The toilet was outside and my bedroom was tiny and to get to it I had to go through my parents’ room and around their bed. We didn’t have electric and the rooms were lit by gas lights.

“I pushed the council to allocate us a council house as it just wasn’t right having to wait for my dad to go out before I could have a bath in the tub in the living room. We were eventually allocated a newly built council house on Hallgarth.”

From left, Yard 46 Cafe proprietors Sabina and James Tucker, Ronnie Mullin and June Hughes looking at the gas mask

She added: “We were all issued with gas masks during the war and it’s just amazing that mine has survived all those years in an attic.

“It was lovely of James to invite me to Yard 46 and to see the gas mask again. He wanted to give it to me but I have asked he keep it and he’s going to put it on show in a glass case in the cafe.”

June says she didn’t want to leave Kendal in 1962 but with Oxenholme railway shed set to close there was little option.

She said: “I married Malcolm my husband in 1952 and we remained happily married until he passed away in 2011 just shy of what would have been our diamond wedding anniversary.

“All our three children were born in Kendal or Oxenholme. They are all married now and I have seven wonderful grand children and my 13 great-grandchild was born just over a week ago.

“We moved to Chester so Malcolm could work at Chester railway shed but then that closed before he could start and he ended up at Edgehill shed in Liverpool for many years.

“I still have a brother and sister-in-laws living in Kendal but I don’t get much chance to get back too often now.”

Yard 46 Cafe proprietor, James Tucker, says he was thrilled to welcome June back to her old home and to reunite her with her gas mask.

He said: “It’s just been an amazing story. My friend Ronnie Mullin, who runs the Factory Tap pub in Kendal, acquired the gas mask after it was discovered in the attic at Hallgarth.

“After seeing the address on the box he presented it to me rather than sell it at an antiques fair as he originally intended. I knew a family called Robinson had once lived at the cafe property but I just couldn’t get any more information.

“It was only when June’s brother-in-law was in one day having a coffee that I discovered who June was. It’s been amazing to hear her talk about what the property used to be like all those years ago.”

He added: “I did want to give the gas mask to June but she has kindly asked me to keep it and display it in the cafe which we fully intend to do. It’s just been a lovely day and I’m so glad June got back here and had the chance to see her gas mask once again.”