The Michael Caine plaque Michael Caine has never forgotten his childhood days in North Runcton, despite the fame and fortune his eventful acting career has brought him. He was even willing to take time out of his schedule to travel to Norfolk to celebrate this connection - which perhaps says a lot about the village and speaks volumes about the man. The 3rd of November 2003 was a special day in the village's history. At the ceremony, the guest of honour stressed his thanks to the older, and past, generations who had welcomed the East End evacuees into the village. He was pleased to learn that the building where the evacuees were billeted was once again being lived in. Although it was a low-key event, he accommodated all the requests for autographs and journalists' questions with humour and good grace. And he was absolutely brilliant with the kids from the nursery who swarmed around him.

Above left: "Sir Michael Caine made his first stage appearances here as a wartime evacuee, 1940-1944." - and returned some 60 years later to unveil the plaque. Above right: In the school room at North Runcton. Left: Sir Michael was presented with a small piece of North Runcton School to remind him of happy days spent there. Below: The blue plaque is in a series commemorating less well-known cultural events around the county, a project by the Eastern Daily Press and Norwich School of Art and Design.     Left: Michael Caine on North Runcton Green - in the background are branches of the lime tree standing outside the former school mistress's cottage. For more about the Caine connection and wartime North Runcton, click here You can download a two minute TV clip of the visit from the BBC (requires RealMedia Player - instructions for installing RealPlayer, also from the BBC)     top www.runctonweb.co.uk