Today marks the 70th anniversary of ‘Victory in Europe Day’. This momentous occasion will be commemorated with events all across the UK.
The following account is from the diary that Stella Freeman kept throughout the war years and was later reproduced in a booklet by members of the Shepherd’s Bush Local History Society, titled: ‘Around the Bush – The War Years’:
‘No school today as this lousy war with the Germans has ended at last. Went out with Dad and bought some flags. Everywhere there are bread queues.
Mum came home and we turned out the rubbish to make Hitler a bonfire. At 9 o’clock we burnt a lovely effigy of Adolf complete with helmet. Then the fun started.
We had a street party until two in the morning. The boys worked hard keeping the fire alight and we burned a lump out of the curb and ate roast potatoes. After dancing my feet feel like lead.
June came round about 12 o’clock. The street looks lovely with lights and flags. A wonderful day. Jimmy has seen the war out. Yippee. (Jimmy was our budgie).’
As for my family, they were living in Rylett Road in the Bush at the time, Dad was still in the Army and my older brother Brian, remembers a street party in Rylett Crescent.
Steve Russell
(The above pics are from the local archive – the top one is thought to be of a street party held in Galloway Road and the bottom one shows some of the impromptu celebrations in Hammersmith Broadway)