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VE DAY...66 years today

Astoness

Astoness

TRUE BRUMMIE MODERATOR
Staff member
worth remembering and sparing a thought for our fallen heroes and civilians who lost their lives fighting for this country...god bless them all...
 
A very good thought and a timely reminder.

Thanks, Lyn.

Chris

PS My memory of it, in Streetly
 
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Can anyone ( who is old enough of course) remember what they was doing on on VE day ? I was nearly 15 and at work in the drawing office at GEC Witton . Eric
 
Hi Eric,

I was 8 years old and a pupil of College Road Junior School (Springfield as it now known, but was plain old Sparkhill in my day). I was living in Knowle Road and can remember a street party with all the tables laid out down the centre of the road.

I have vague recollections of a huge bonfire near to the allotment gates, but I may be getting mixed up with Guy Fawkes Night - it's a long time ago! :)

Maurice :cool:
 
My Mom & Dad along with my Sisters and Brothers were waiting for VJ Day which came shortly after VE Day to welcome home our Brother Albert (Bert) who was in the 14th Army in the Far East and we had not seen since he sailed to India in 1943. Len.
 
Makes me think of my dear Dad and Mom, bless them and all who suffered servicemen, women and civilians, not being born then I tended to forget just how hard life must have been for everyone, and I am sure that they must have celebrated very hard.
paul
 
I remember it well Dad hauled the Radio console across the road on Moat lane by the #17 bus stop, All the friends who lived on the street had a rare old time. Quite a celebration, John Crump oldBrit Parker. Co USA
 
I can vaguely remember the party in the street I do remember we had jelly and sweets I guess I must have been about 3 so sweets and jelly would have been very important.
 
I lived in Copeley Street, Aston which was a cul-de-sac and we had tables lined up all down the road, I remember quite a few women in the street congregated in Mrs. Ford's kitchen making the jellies, blancmanges, cakes etc., this must have been the day before. At lunch time on VE Day my dad was in the Clarendon Arms on the corner of Clarendon/Upper Webster Street, and I remember going in there with my friend Mavis, we were 7 years old and dressed in red, white and blue and we were put on the tables to join in the singing.
We had to get our table out through the sash cord windows, and a number of the men wheeled our piano outside and down to a blank wall a couple of houses down from ours. After the tea party, in the evening we had a huge bonfire in the middle of the road. Brenda Barr do you remember all this. Brenda lived next door one to us.
 
I would have been twelve years old, I’m not sure if we were given the day off school or if we just took it, I remember going to the City centre with my Mother, and some of the neighbours with their ‘kids’
There was great celebrations going on and flag waving, people hugging and kissing complete strangers.
I think the Street parties were held a few days after VE day

Nick
 
great pic ray..

nick i would think after going through 6 years of hell the parties carried on for ages and well deserved too...

lyn
 
Sylvia, l remember our VE celebration quite well in copely street, especially your piano and the sing along we all had, but the bonfire really sticks in my mind l could'nt ever remember having a bonfire before......l also remember Mrs Carters nephew and friend, who were on leave from the Canadian navy, they were feeling no pain just coming from town, and we had to hide them up an entry as the coppers came round and they were definately on the look out for drunk and disorder....everyone was so happy.....and just think no more blackout...Brenda
 
Brenda, I don't remember the Canadians, but we were all having such a good time. I seem to think we had bunting across the street, probably saved from the 1937 Coronation of George V1.
 
VE day - 68 years ago - a lifetime for many.

I wasn't around for VE day, born in 1949, but would like to say a big thank you to all who were and to those who endured to make our world what it is today.
 
Thankfull to all the folks then and all those who gave there lives so we did not live under a dictatorship. Their sacrifice for our prosperity.
Thank you.
 
Glad to see this thread has been awakened at the appropriate time. I was just eight years old at the time, but remember the celebrations well. Unfortunately at that age I wasn't mature enough to realise all the implications, though my late uncle was still in Belgium with the Military Police, largely directing traffic from what I can make out! But many brave souls didn't survive the war and we owe them an immense debt of gratitude both then and now.

Maurice
 
Dad Had his radio out in the street, we all sang and danced a GRAND day to say the least, Wish we had photos to look at. Not possible that this was that long ago, where has the time gone? my 80th coming up, SO MANY MEMORIES! John Crump Grateful OldBrit Parker, Co USA
 
BLOODY AMAZING! Papers NO mention of VE day. Fergie retires the Queen give speech? Are WE the ONLY ones that care? John Crump Parker. Co USA
 
Maybe its because the the pc brigade here don't want to upset anyone John. Remember, as Basil Fawlty tried to, don't mention the war!! :friendly_wink:
 
I wasn't born then, but my Husband remembers their Street Party.

I am grateful to all who served, and thankful that most of my family survived. My sympathy to those who suffered loss of relatives.

rosie.
 
68 YES SIXTY EIGHT YEARS AGO NOW! 8 May 1945 a DAY that we should ALL be thankful for. John Crump
 
Sadly John, the youngest survivor from the Forces, unless he/she lied about age, would be 86 years old or thereabouts. Soon it will all disappear into the mists of time.
 
My memories of VE day were of a fancy dress competition, my dad had made me a hobby horse and I was dressed as St George wearing a grey jersey, a baraclava, and a wooden sword piercing a picture of Hitler's face. Afterwards there was the party with tables and chairs in the road and in the evening a large bonfire which burnt a hole in the road and scorched the privet hedges in the front gardens. Most of my uncles saw active service in the war and thankfully they all came back, two of them were captured before Dunkirk.
 
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