Christ Church, Bradford on AvonA FORMER Archbishop of Canterbury has been asked to record his wartime experiences in a west Wiltshire town as part of an exhibition to mark the 60th anniversary of VE Day.

Lord George Carey, who stepped down from his post in 2002, was evacuated to Bradford on Avon during the Second World War and now the curator of the town's museum has approached him to contribute his memories and experiences.

Bradford on Avon Museum has been awarded nearly £10,000 of lottery cash to fund a display to mark the VE Day anniversary.

The display will focus on stories, photos and moving images of life in Bradford, and curator Roger Clark hopes Lord Carey will have a part to play in the experience.

Mr Clark, who plans to put the information together on a CD ROM and touch screen database, said: "We are hoping to get to speak with the previous Archbishop of Canterbury who was an evacuee to Bradford.

"We are after information and people's experiences so it would be nice if he was on the computer database.

"We would like to be able to use this opportunity to gain some more knowledge and share it with other people.

"I have been looking up to find out where he lives. He is a busy man, but we just want something from him to put onto the computer such as a picture, or video. But nothing other than that has been planned yet."

In his autobiography Know The Truth: A Memoir, Lord Carey talks of his early experience of religion as a five-year-old in wartime Britain.

After leaving their home town of Dagenham, in Essex, the Careys moved to west Wiltshire to live with a family called the Musslewhites, before settling in their own house.

In his book, Lord Carey wrote: "Mr Musslewhite was the billeting officer and also the churchwarden of Christ Church, Bradford on Avon.

"He helped to reconnect us with our church, because it was entirely natural to go to his church every Sunday and to enter into the rhythm of worship and praise, community life and the care of one another.

"For us children it also meant education at the local church school, which we greatly appreciated.

"We stayed with them for several weeks before a house was found on White Hill, which became our home until it was safe to return to Dagenham.

"Ever since those days Bradford on Avon has had a special place in our affections."

The display is due to open at Bradford Library this autumn.