During World War II, Ashford and some of her fellow Norland College trainees were sent to a large country house to take care of children who had been evacuated from London. She remembered one girl, Elsie, in particular. "Once I caught Elsie stealthily stuffing carrots in her pocket" rather than eating them, she recalled. Ashford remembered one time her principal at Norland had loudly singled her out for not eating her food and decided to quietly reprimand Elsie later. "I whispered into her ear, 'We won't be doing that again, will we?' She shook her head vigorously. 'Besides,' I said with a wink, 'they say carrots can help you see in the pitch-dark of the blackout.' Her eyes widened at the possibilities and the mischief she could get up to with such a superpower at her disposal."
