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Remembering VE Day: Village Commemorations, 1945-2020 Text and photos Alan and Carol Payne May 2020 Plans for the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe were fundamentally affected by the corona virus. Box did its best to commemorate the event as these photos from around the village show. For some it was all too much to celebrate, especially for mothers who had lost family in the First World War (just 21 years earlier) and children in the Second. Les Dancey Wrote My parents and I didn't go to any of the celebrations. I was never allowed to have any friends home or have any parties. I just remember that it was a very exciting time and everyone was so happy and smiling but more so when those that had been away at war came home. Floods of tears of joy, but all the sadder for those who had no-one to come home. Prize for the biggest flag went to Byway, Chapel Lane |
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Bargates Commemorated with Bunting
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Bill Cooper Recalled the Days Before
Great VE Day issue, which revived many deep memories. On the Saturday before the official VE Day announcement, I was at Twerton Park to see Bath City play. They were quite a force to be reckoned with in the war years. Towards the end of the match, a paper boy appeared who quickly sold out because the Bath Chronicle poster headline was UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!
Things had looked pretty much that way before but here it was in big black and white print! I quickly said farewell to my friends and ran to the Twerton terminus to beat the inevitable crush. Then the same to catch the Box bus by the weirs. Walking from the Post Office towards home, there was a Notice in the Legion Club window announcing the village celebrations. This was the end of six long years
Great VE Day issue, which revived many deep memories. On the Saturday before the official VE Day announcement, I was at Twerton Park to see Bath City play. They were quite a force to be reckoned with in the war years. Towards the end of the match, a paper boy appeared who quickly sold out because the Bath Chronicle poster headline was UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!
Things had looked pretty much that way before but here it was in big black and white print! I quickly said farewell to my friends and ran to the Twerton terminus to beat the inevitable crush. Then the same to catch the Box bus by the weirs. Walking from the Post Office towards home, there was a Notice in the Legion Club window announcing the village celebrations. This was the end of six long years
Showing Passers-by that we Care
Bill Cooper: VE Day
In Box, we had a bonfire with a wooden swastika on the top to symbolise the end of Nazi Germany. But a couple of tipsy soldiers lit it before time as they couldn't wait to celebrate. There was a stage and concert organised in the marquee and Blewey Weeks rather stole the show singing a catchy tune of the time called Chickory-Chick. Monty Dermott and Veronica Miles concluded events with a duet It's a Grand Night for Singing, a pop tune of the time from the musical film called State Fair. It was a grand night, too.
In Box, we had a bonfire with a wooden swastika on the top to symbolise the end of Nazi Germany. But a couple of tipsy soldiers lit it before time as they couldn't wait to celebrate. There was a stage and concert organised in the marquee and Blewey Weeks rather stole the show singing a catchy tune of the time called Chickory-Chick. Monty Dermott and Veronica Miles concluded events with a duet It's a Grand Night for Singing, a pop tune of the time from the musical film called State Fair. It was a grand night, too.
In the Hamlets
Bill Cooper: VE Day Weekend
My parents thought we should visit Bath on the Monday morning after VE Day. Everywhere, there was bunting and flags, all along Kensington, Walcot and the Paragon. We walked from the bus at Cleveland Bridge up to Milsom Street where the major shop windows were all completely covered with flags, bunting and red, white and blue materials. Not all of those shops remain today. We walked around to the Guildhall and joined the crowd waiting for the mayor who at precisely 11 o'clock read out a victory proclamation from the King!
I particularly remember the return bus journey where there was much bunting and streamers draped across the main street of Batheaston (long before the by-pass was even thought of). The flags were tied to the chimney pots so that the double-decker buses could easily pass underneath.
My parents thought we should visit Bath on the Monday morning after VE Day. Everywhere, there was bunting and flags, all along Kensington, Walcot and the Paragon. We walked from the bus at Cleveland Bridge up to Milsom Street where the major shop windows were all completely covered with flags, bunting and red, white and blue materials. Not all of those shops remain today. We walked around to the Guildhall and joined the crowd waiting for the mayor who at precisely 11 o'clock read out a victory proclamation from the King!
I particularly remember the return bus journey where there was much bunting and streamers draped across the main street of Batheaston (long before the by-pass was even thought of). The flags were tied to the chimney pots so that the double-decker buses could easily pass underneath.
Some Reminisced and Explained to Others on the Devizes Road
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Bill Cooper: Life After VE Day
There was much euphoria and excitement over the brief celebrative period but matters soon returned to normal. If anything, food rationing and bureaucratic administration was far worse than before.
In the summer of 1949, my school (now Beechen Cliff) arranged an exchange visit to Pau, a lovely French town close to the Spanish Border. For their trip to England, every visiting French student required a ration book to cover their six week stay. So, with my fellow students I went to the Paragon, Bath, hoping to be issued with a ration book for my exchange student. Twenty-five students were issued with a book for their visitor but not ME! The helpful manager pointed out that Box was in Wiltshire and I therefore had to go to our issuing office at Chippenham. He even phoned there to set matters in motion. But it wasn’t so easy in practice, even after two completely unsuccessful visits there. This meant: no book, no French visitor to me!
Whilst standing in the bus queue to come home, my mother noticed we were outside the office of our local Member of Parliament, David Eccles (later Sir David). So, we called in. Our MP was completely bemused, so much so that he picked up the phone and spoke to the Chippenham Issuing Office. Rather surprisingly, he arranged for his secretary to visit immediately and collect the wretched book almost instantly!
I stayed with the parents of my French pen-friend called Pierre. He helped me to mix in easily in his village life, with his family as well as at school. It was literally another world in Pau: ample food, fruit, wine and cream all in plentiful supply. Pierre's parents just could not understand how the mighty victorious Britain and its Empire were in such dire straits.
There was much euphoria and excitement over the brief celebrative period but matters soon returned to normal. If anything, food rationing and bureaucratic administration was far worse than before.
In the summer of 1949, my school (now Beechen Cliff) arranged an exchange visit to Pau, a lovely French town close to the Spanish Border. For their trip to England, every visiting French student required a ration book to cover their six week stay. So, with my fellow students I went to the Paragon, Bath, hoping to be issued with a ration book for my exchange student. Twenty-five students were issued with a book for their visitor but not ME! The helpful manager pointed out that Box was in Wiltshire and I therefore had to go to our issuing office at Chippenham. He even phoned there to set matters in motion. But it wasn’t so easy in practice, even after two completely unsuccessful visits there. This meant: no book, no French visitor to me!
Whilst standing in the bus queue to come home, my mother noticed we were outside the office of our local Member of Parliament, David Eccles (later Sir David). So, we called in. Our MP was completely bemused, so much so that he picked up the phone and spoke to the Chippenham Issuing Office. Rather surprisingly, he arranged for his secretary to visit immediately and collect the wretched book almost instantly!
I stayed with the parents of my French pen-friend called Pierre. He helped me to mix in easily in his village life, with his family as well as at school. It was literally another world in Pau: ample food, fruit, wine and cream all in plentiful supply. Pierre's parents just could not understand how the mighty victorious Britain and its Empire were in such dire straits.
Small-Scale at the Blind House and Road-Straddling at Market Place
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Apologies if we have missed out your bunting, flags and self-isolating celebrations. If you are able to, please send us photos of your events for all to enjoy.