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Land Army girls will return to their Northumberland base to reminisce about days gone by.

During the Second World War young women from Tyneside went to Wooler to work on the land.

Many of them like Joyce Ogle, now 82, met their husbands and stayed on in the small town.

And on Saturday their old base at the Cheviot Street Centre - now run by the Youth Hostel Association - is hosting a heritage open day for the Land Girls.

It is part of a national event for scores of buildings across the country which have a tale to celebrate.

Visitors will learn how it was built and operated as a base for the Land Army, which was formed in 1939.

Linda Rhind, manager of Wooler YHA, is hoping the day will be even more successful than a similar event held last year.

"As a building of special historical interest we were asked to host a very successful open day last year and are looking to repeat that this time around in YHA's 75th anniversary year," she said.

The event starts at 1pm and finishes at 4pm.

Two years ago retired teacher and local history enthusiast Muriel Sobo, from Ponteland, brought together a collection of stories and photographs in a book. Land Girls in Northumberland included memories and photographs from the Wooler centre.

"It was originally built as a Women's Land Army base and most of the Land Girls came from urban Newcastle and Tyneside," she said.

"Some of them got married and still live in Wooler."

One of those who stayed is Mrs Ogle who is planning to drop into the centre at the weekend.

She remembers moving to Wooler from Newcastle in the early 1940s when the Land Army girls' base was newly built.

She also remembers her first job as a Land Army recruit. "I didn't have a very good impression of the place because my first job was going into a potato pit," she said.

Towards the end of the previous year, potatoes from the farm where she was sent were buried in the pit and covered with straw and soil. Her job, the following May, was to remove the soil and straw and sort the potatoes by size.

"It was cold and we worked from 8am until 5pm and at first I thought there was no way that I would stay," she said.

"But then there were other jobs on the farm that I enjoyed and when we got back to the hut one of the farmers' wives had made us a nice meal.

"We were city girls, new to the country, but it was surprising how quickly we picked it all up."

Mrs Ogle was also one of the girls who met their future husbands in the country.

Although she and the others regularly attended dances, where soldiers and airmen posted nearby also went, she fell for shepherd Howie Ogle at Ilderton Farm where they both worked.

"Quite a few of the girls stayed in Wooler and I'll be letting them know about the open day as well. It will be nice to get together again," she added.

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Land Army girls will return to their Northumberland base to reminisce about days gone by. During the Second World War young women from Tyneside went to Wooler to work on the land. Many of them like Joyce Ogle, now 82, met their husbands and stayed on in the small town.

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LAND Girl Ethel Oliver has told of her delight after she was handed a special badge of honour by Prime Minister Gordon Brown for her wartime efforts.

The 85-year-old, from Nicholas Street, Whitburn, was the only Women's Timber Corps member to attend the special ceremony at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday.

She was joined by 49 former members of the Women's Land Army from across the UK, who all met Mr Brown, before being presented with their medals by Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Mrs Oliver, who travelled down to London with her husband Randle, 83, said: "I had a fantastic day, it was a great honour.

"I'm not a huge fan of Gordon Brown, but he was extremely charming to us.

"And Hilary Benn was fantastic, he was mothering all of us, running around, getting us cups of tea."

Mrs Oliver, who later went on to be an interior decorator, joined the Timber Corps in 1941 at the age of 18, and spent five years measuring trees around the country during the Second World

War.

"I loved it, it was a really good time in my life. We used to work from 7.30am to 5pm every day, outdoors.

"Although it was a lot nicer working in the spring and the summer than it was in the winter," the mother-of-two added. A total of 349 former members of the Women's Land Army and Timber Corps - known as Land Girls and Lumber Jills - from North East England will receive a special badge of honour this summer in recognition of their efforts.

Mr Benn announced last December that the Land Girls would receive formal recognition for the first

time.

At its 1943 peak, there were 80,000 Land Girls working from dawn 'til dusk to provide food for the nation during the war.

More than 30,000 women will receive a badge of honour this summer.

The Prime Minister said: "Their work was absolutely vital, and it is right that we thank them now for their dedication in the service of their country."

Mr Benn added: "This nation owes a huge debt of gratitude to the Land Girls and the Lumber Jills - as they were affectionately known.

"During the dark days of the war they provided food for the nation, and their contribution was as important as that of everyone who served.

"It's absolutely right that we recognise their commitment by the award of the long awaited badge."

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The 85-year-old, from Nicholas Street, Whitburn, was the only Women's Timber Corps member to attend the special ceremony at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday. She was joined by 49 former members of the Women's Land Army from across the UK, who all met Mr Brown, before being presented with their medals by Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

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BBC - Tyne - History - Land Girls' memories

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Hundreds of women from across Tyneside and Northumberland played a vital role during World War II as members of the Women's Land Army. Among them were Gladys Gradwell and Josie Benson.