The life of a young woman in Nuneaton during the First and Second World Wars has been chronicled in a new book.

Under the title Hello There - The Early Life of Annice May Overy, the book has been published by Bill and Edna Overy, her son and daughter-in-law who now live in Canada.

Bill, 64, said his mother had seen "some of the worst times in the 20th century, covering both world wars, the general strike and the great depression".

The book, which features photographs from the Evening Telegraph and Nuneaton Tribune picture libraries, covers Annice's early life in Stockingford.

She spent the first five years of her life without a father, who landed in France to fight in the First World War on the day she was born in October, 1914.

As a little girl living in Cross Street, Annice suffered hunger during the general strike.

In the books she says: "There was only one time in my life that I was hungry and that was during the... General Strike. It was 1926 or 1928 and for 26 weeks not one penny came into the house. We used to queue up for bread, milk and rice." Later, she worked in Burbage, and married in St Paul's Church, Stock-ingford in the 1930s.

Bill said he found it difficult talking to his mother about the Blitz: "Memories were still strong, and bringing to mind those in the Blitz who did not survive the bombing was an ordeal that I was not happy putting her through again."

His mum's story reads: "Early in 1942, Nuneaton was a target for heavy bombing and I had several narrow escapes. One of the girls in our gang was getting married and my mate Alice Kempton and myself were invited. It was decided that Alice and me would take our clothes to work and sleep at the bride's house." But Annice said she felt guilty for leaving her son, who she called Billie, behind so they decided to go home and attend the wedding the next day - a move that saved her life.

"Someone was watching over us that night. An aerial torpedo went through the little street and the house we were going to sleep in was flattened. No-one survived.

"We arrived at the scene just as the bride-to-be's body was being brought out. Her veil was there, fluttering over the rubble."

Bill describes the book as an amateur venture "to be a record for future genera-tions". It can be purchased for &#xA3;7 including postage and packing. E-mail

* Extracts reproduced with permission.