{"id":82499,"date":"2025-05-07T18:18:28","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T18:18:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/82499\/"},"modified":"2025-05-07T18:18:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T18:18:28","slug":"32-incredible-pictures-show-how-shropshire-and-the-west-midlands-celebrated-ve-day-80-years-ago-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/82499\/","title":{"rendered":"32 incredible pictures show how Shropshire and the West Midlands celebrated VE Day 80 years ago today"},"content":{"rendered":"

In typical make-do-and-mind style, trestle tables were hastily thrown together in the street, dining chairs were commandeered, and a good time had by all.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Today such events require road closure orders and the consent of the local authority, but back in 1945 there were no such worries, and besides hardly anybody had cars.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Songs and celebrations rang out as the country marked the end of six long, hard years of war across our continent. Although for some, who had lost loved ones, the smiles would have masked inner grief, and the general mood was one of relief and gratitude for those who had made the ultimate sacrifice.<\/p>\n

Most of the celebrations were ad-hoc affairs, often organised by extended families, although others, such as the one in Jackfield, were more organised – with the village’s brass band providing the music.<\/p>\n

Not even the rain, which afflicted part of the day, could dampen the spirits. The war was not over, and people were mindful that fighting continued in the Far East. But the end was in sight, and the people of the county were ready to celebrate.<\/p>\n

\"AA ‘Victory’ banner was stretched across Much Wenlock High Street as the town celebrated Victory in Europe. According to Ina Taylor, author of the 2011 book Much Wenlock Past To Present, Holy Trinity Church and the guildhall were floodlit; sports and tea parties were held along with a thanksgiving service, and at night an effigy of Hitler was burned.\"CelebrationsCelebrations in Rope Walk, off Beatrice Street, Oswestry\"CelebratingCelebrating the end of the war at ‘The Sump’ in Oakengates, around Vicar Street and Church Street, was Jean Edwards, second row, second from right and her friends\"VEVE Day celebrations at The Old Hall, Dorrington, with Ursula Egerton Hine, 18, second from the left, above the flag. She is wearing a black skirt made from blackout material with a bit of added braid. Sitting to her left is Marion Nellhaus, a Jewish refugee who had fled Germany \"AA parade through Whitchurch was held to celebrate the victory\"VEVE Day celebrations in Hereford High Town\"AA party at the Prince of Wales, Bynner Street, Shrewsbury. The girl in the centre is thought to be Mary Yeomans, with her mother standing left with a Mrs Strain. \"ThisThis Victory in Europe celebration street party was being held at Lloyds Head, Jackfield, at 4pm. Ron Miles, who helped set up the tables, was celebrating his 16th birthday.\"VEVE Day in Mardol, Shrewsbury\"Newport'sNewport’s VE Day celebrations started in Springfield Terrace, before rain caused them to move to the garage in Stafford Road. Beryl Lawley, of Station Terrace, Newport, is on the left row of the table, second one in, with the bottom of her face obscured. Her brother Colin Lawley is on the right hand side of the table, seated at the far end.\"AA street party to mark VE Day at Harlescott Close, later Roselyn, Shrewsbury. Glenys Richards. with the ribboned crook, played Bo-Peep, with front left, Michael Richards, and back, third from right in flat cap Peter Richards as Robin Hood. Also in picture is their father. Fred Richards, back row in top hat.\"ReaderReader Dylis Martin, front, second from left, celebrating with friends in Havelock Road, Shrewsbury\"AA WAAF contingent from RAF camps in and around Oswestry on VE parade through the town on May 8, 1945. Fourth from back on left hand column is Doris Clarke, a radio operator stationed at RAF Rednal.\"ChristineChristine Pemberton, being held by her mother Hilda in the foreground of the picture, was only a few months when these celebrations were held in Station Road, Wem \"AnAn effigy of Hitler had been prepared for this bonfire in Kimberley Street, Wolverhampton\"AA street party to mark the end of fighting in Europe held in Hollyhedge Road, Walsall. Holding the jug was 20-year-old Florence Aldridge, while wearing the green cardigan opposite was her mother Elizabeth Mountford. Just behind her, in the green pinafore dress, is Elizabeth’s other daughter, Gwendoline, and the white-haired figure just visible at the very back was Elizabeth’s mother, only known as Mrs Peakman. The young girl, third from front on the right, is Florence’s niece Beryl Mountford. The picture was supplied by Florence’s son Philip Aldridge, who lives in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton.\"RainRain didn’t stop the fun for these children in well-decorated Gordon Street, Wolverhampton\"AA street party was held in Wrights Avenue, Hednesford\"MayorMayor of West Bromwich Councillor John Grant, seated right, joined residents of’ Poultney Street, Harvills Hawthorn for a street party\"WalsallWalsall serviceman Bernard Benson, top row, sixth from left, celebrating VE Day in GermanyBilston Scouts Group on Parasde on VE Day\"CelebrationsCelebrations in the garden of a house that stood on the site of St Martin’s Church Walsall, opposite the Long Horn pub\"CheerfulCheerful neighbours in Walford Avenue, Bradmore, at a street party to celebrate VE day in 1945\"AA victory tea party held on May 24, 1945 in Whitmore Road, Wollaston, Stourbridge\"AA street party in Norton Lane, Great Wyrley on May 12, 1945\"MayorMayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor T W Phillipson pictured with members of the Home Guard contingent celebrating VE Day at Molineux\"AA street party near Mount Road, Lanesfield, Wolverhampton\"AA photograph of Queen Square in Wolverhampton in May, 1945, when jubilant townsfolk celebrated VE Day, with some even climbing aboard the statue of Prince Albert mounted on his horse \"AA street party in Norton Lane, Great Wyrley on May 12, 1945\"BilstonBilston Scouts Group on Parade on VE Day\"MembersMembers of the Women’s Royal Army Corps drive their service vehicle through Trafalgar Square waving flags in celebration of victory\"ResidentsResidents of Bright Street, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, held a massive party to celebrate the end of hostilities. It was supplied by reader Jean Sanders, the three-year-old sitting on the lap of cousin Joan Corfield, immediately right of the flower tub. Also, wearing a turban by the window was Mrs Sanders’ mother Gwen Smith.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In typical make-do-and-mind style, trestle tables were hastily thrown together in the street, dining chairs were commandeered, and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":82500,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7820],"tags":[855,748,393,4884,12,8838,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-82499","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birmingham","8":"tag-birmingham","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-nostalgia","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114467931044457755","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82499"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82499\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}