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What year did The Durrells move to Corfu and how long were they there?

12 July 2020, 18:00 | Updated: 12 July 2020, 18:01

The Durrells moved to Corfu in 1935. Picture: ITV

When is The Durrells set and when did they leave Corfu? Here's what we know...

**Warning The Durrells spoilers below**

With series one of The Durrells airing again on ITV, we’re transported back to the dreamy beaches of Corfu.

Spanning over four seasons, the ITV drama is an adaptation of Gerald Durrell's trilogy of autobiographical books about his family’s adventures on the Greek island before World War Two.

But what year is The Durrells set in? And when did the family leave Corfu? Here’s what we know…

What year is The Durrells set in?

The first series begins in 1935, when Louisa Durrell announces that she and her four children will move from Bournemouth to the Greek island of Corfu.

The Durrells were in Corfu for four years. Picture: ITV

After her husband died, the family experiences financial problems and decide to leave their life in London behind.

How long were The Durrells in Corfu?

In real-life - and season four of The Durrells - Louisa Durrell left Corfu and returned to England in 1939 to escape the dangers of WW2.

She brought children Gerry and Leslie with her, along with the family’s maid, a girl named Maria.

Meanwhile, Larry and his wife Nancy (who isn’t shown in the series) stayed on the island.

They went on to have their daughter in 1940 but the following year Greece was occupied by the Nazis so they fled to Alexandria, Egypt.

Margo fell in love with a Royal Air Force pilot who was stationed in Corfu and the couple fled to South Africa in 1940.

Watch the latest teaser for the final episode of The Durrells

Louisa and her children moved to Bournemouth and she stayed there until her death in 1964.

None of The Durrells returned to live in Corfu after the war.

After returning to England, Gerry worked at an aquarium and a pet store, before founding the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

This is now directed by his second wife, Lee McGeorge Durrell, following his death in 1995.

Margo gave birth to her first child in an Italian POW camp in Africa, but after divorcing her husband she later joined her family in Bournemouth, where she ran a boarding house.

After leaving Corfu, Larry married four times and wrote dozens of books. He finally settled in France, where he passed away in 1990.

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