V E Day

I was interested that you mentioned a photo that was taken opposite bus terminal on Norman Place Road. I have tried to find this photo as my dad was born at 158 Norman Place Road which was opposite Bablake but unable to find it. Would you please be able to put the link on so as I can view it. Thanks, Lorna

Welcome to the forum Lorna, hope this helps. If you click on the Historic Coventry button in the list on the left hand side of this page it will take you to another set of buttons. About half way down you will see one called "photo mysteries", which takes you to a list. You will find the VE day party photos listed on there.

V E Day, Coventry.

More.

1945 VE Day. This is my father and my two young brothers, and my granddad and grandma on the right. You can just see the branches in the right hand corner of the tree my father planted when he came home from WW1. The garden was down to where the photographer (another younger brother) stands until 36/7 time. As you can see, the iron railings and the gates went for scrap. On the left ran the railway, across the road and down by the side of the house. My grandma had 13 kids in that house and they all lived and had families that spread around Coventry.

That looks like it`s by Tusses Bridge, Kaga.

Michelle Goodlad

Missed those scenes, my sister and I were in London. By the time we walked through Coventry the crowds had all gone. But 1945 was an unusual year for Britain. The way I remember it - Coventry and the country had lived in Victorian times. Up until the war, a man could get sacked on the spot. He didn't have enough money to keep his family for two days until he got more work, even if he was sick he had to find money, if his kids got ill he had to find money. There was the Saturday Fund but that was little. So the soldiers coming home needed something better. Soldiers returning said they were not going back to the old unfair system of Victorian times and the poor law. And the Labour government promised something better - the 1945 elections would be a landmark in our history. So Labour swept to glory - three years later they introduced four acts - The National Insurance Act, The Industrial Injuries Act, The National Assistance Act, The National Health Service. They would all combine, pooling the nation's resources. At the same time they started to dismantle the British Empire, they gave both India and Burma their independence, the people to take control of their own countries. It was still a bleak economic hardship, wartime rationing and National Service, but there was optimism. But optimism was frail, and by 1951 Labour was narrowly defeated.

I missed them too. I had measles or chickenpox, could not go outside to the Wyver Crescent street party. The street had a children's fancy dress. I wore my elder brother's drummer boy uniform, without the lost pill-box hat, white trousers with a blue jacket with gold frogging. Neighbour judge came in our home to see me, but I did not win. 50 years later I missed out again in hospital in Oxford for heart surgery, and could not see TV properly as my specs were locked away and I was refused them! (I saw the Queen Mother in gold, but it was all a blur!)

Last night I rather belatedly watched a few 'VE Day' programmes recorded last week. One, 'Tony Robinson's VE Day Minute by Minute' shows archive film of Coventry from after the Nov '40 blitz and then a service in the Cathedral ruins at 9am on May 8th 1945. The second programme, 'VE Day : Remembering Victory', shows buses leaving Pool Meadow (maybe), but definitely shows the Empire Cinema, (the Burton's shop fa