“‘This is the land of Narnia,’ said the faun, ‘where we are now; all that lies between the lamp post and the great castle of Cair Paravel on the eastern sea. . . . It is winter in Narnia, and has been forever so long, and we shall both catch cold if we stand here talking in the snow.’

“‘Thank you very much, Mr. Tumnus,’ said Lucy. ‘But I was wondering whether I ought to be getting back.’”

—from The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

Just received a Twitter from St. Paul’s Cathedral in London saying today marks the 70th anniversary of evacuation of British citizens during World War II. Germany had begun bombing raids on the city at night, and the decision was made to send as many people—particularly children—as possible to homes outside of the London area. The Kilns, which is in Oxford and was owned by C.S. Lewis and his brother Warren, became a safe haven for several youngsters during the Blitz.

Blackout curtains still hang on the windows at the Kilns as a reminder of World War II and the precautions people had to take even outside of London.