KBGS Old Boys' Forum

A place to discuss Keighley Boys' Grammar School. 


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KBGS Old Boys' Forum
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Re: V.E. Day 1945

I was an 18 year old student at King's College London at the time, living in lodgings at Balham. One of the other lodgers heard the BBC news that the war was over and came to tell my room-mate and me that the following day May 8 would be a public holiday to be known as VE-Day.

We decided to spend VE-Day in central London. We walked the 5 or 6 miles each way because I suspect that public transport was suspended for the day. We were a couple of relatively quiet sober young men, and all we did was to join the crowds outside Buckingham Palace and wait for the King and Queen and Winston Churchill to appear on the balcony. We definitely didn't join in the dancing and I doubt whether we joined in the cheering. We eventually walked back via Piccadilly Circus to Balham. As far as I can remember there were no street parties in the area where we were lodging and we saw no bonfires.

VJ Day was different. I was in Bexleyheath, Kent doing vacation work and was invited to a street party where I was lodging at the time. I think people must have had longer to organise events on that occasion.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1937-1944

Current location (optional) Huntingdon