Former evacuee returns to Higham Ferrers after 80 years

Higham Ferrers Town Council was delighted to welcome a very special visitor on Thursday 4th June, when officers had the pleasure of meeting former resident Derick Budd, whose connection to the town dates back to the Second World War.

Derick is no stranger to the headlines. In January 1946, he made national news as the last wartime evacuee to leave Higham Ferrers.

Arriving in the town as a six-year-old in 1940, Derick was evacuated from London and lived on Milton Street with Mr and Mrs C. J. Dixon. During his time in Higham Ferrers, he attended Higham Council School, where he earned a scholarship to Wellingborough Grammar School before eventually returning home after the war.

Derick first reconnected with Higham Ferrers Town Council in 2025. The Council’s Assistant Clerk, Emily Arrow, was delighted to correspond with him and shared photographs from the town’s VE Day anniversary celebrations. The display, created by local Yarnbombers, featured colourful bollard covers, toppers, bunting, bench covers and a striking post-box topper showcasing local landmarks. The photographs sparked fond memories for Derick, particularly of the town’s VE Day street party held on 8th June 1946.

This was not Derick’s first return visit to Higham Ferrers. In the 1990s, he visited the town with his late wife, Maureen, introducing her to Mr and Mrs Dixon and sharing some of the places that featured prominently in his childhood memories. Following Maureen’s passing earlier this year, Derick was accompanied on this visit by one of his daughters and her husband.

During their time in Higham Ferrers, the family revisited Milton Street, where Derick had lived as an evacuee, as well as what is now Higham Ferrers Junior School and the Town Hall. They also planned to enjoy lunch at the Carriage House as part of their visit.

Eighty years after leaving the town, Derick was visibly delighted to be back in Higham Ferrers. It was a privilege for Town Council officers to meet Derick and his family and hear his cherished memories of the community that played such an important role in his early life.