One of Joan Clifford's biggest challenges in the Women's Land Army came during the severe winter of 1947.

She was working on her husband Arthur's farm near Banbury when snow fell incessantly.

Mrs Clifford, ne Norman, who now lives in Sutton Courtenay, recalls: "For three days, I helped dig the village out to the main road.

"We had been cut off for over a week and had been feeding the milk to the pigs or even pouring it down the drain, as we had run out of churns and the milk lorry couldn't get into the village.

"One day, I made my way into Banbury through snow, over hedges, across fields and snow-covered roads (which I just could not follow) to get food as our small village shop had sold out of necessities.

"I carried back flour, meat, bread and other groceries we badly needed seven miles to the village - I was absolutely loaded."

One day, she was alone at the farm when the stable roof fell in on to the horses under the weight of the snow.

"Wrenching at large wooden beams, I had to go in and get out two terrified horses and calm them down."

But there were some lighter moments.

"The butcher used to come to the farm to kill our pigs. He arrived one day wearing a clean white smock and, as he stood in the doorway, my husband drove the selected pig out of the sty.

"The pig ran between the butcher's legs and carried him backwards right into the slurry heap and left him there."

* More on Mrs Clifford's memories soon.