As I am unable to attend any 1940's events this year I was looking forward to celebrating at home on the 75th anniversary of V.E Day on the 8th May.
I had already planned what we were going to eat, wear, decorate with, when we got a little handwritten note through the letterbox from a neighbour.
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| The two minute silence |
I was up early but stopped to pay my respects at 11am.
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| Victory Sausage rolls ready for the oven |
I had on my 1940's pinny to do my preparations in the morning...
Homity Pie and Victory Sausage rolls were on the menu
I even got out my Grandmothers tea service.....
Then we had a socially distanced street party!
Triffle for tea!
The next day was another lovely sunny day and I was very lazy. I spent the day looking at old family photos....
Above- One of the Skelhorn Boys...John centre and again on the right in the trio of sailors and Lally in the bottom photo, Thomas senior's sister.
Thomas and Mary Skelhorn had four sons, Thomas, John, Stephen and Joseph. The eldest three survived the second world war and came home. They also had five girls, Violet, my nan, Mary, Ann, Winifred and Nora. This is Winnie.
Above- Two boys that didn't make it home for VE Day 1945. My mum's dad, Martin (sat in the tank) who died on August 8th 1944 in Normandy aged just 29 and his younger brother in the photo above who was a dispatch rider who died just over a year later in Italy on 13th August 1945 aged 25. Martin was killed when a bomb hit the tank he was working on and Paddy died tragically when he was accidentally poisoned by some tablets he was given thinking they were painkillers.
Above- Paddy Squires in the army, bottom photo. He survived Dunkirk. His mum Annie in the other photo. When my nan was left widowed aged 28 with two small daughters she later married Paddy. My mum loved going to Annie's house as there was always cake!
My Grandad. My dad's dad, third at the front from the right......he spent the war and indeed all his working life in the fire brigade. He was born in Dudley in 1905 but during the war was relocated to Widnes, then Lancashire, as it was thought the chemical factories would be a target for the bombing.
Above my nan with her mum Mary.
Above- Paddy Kelly (see previous photo) top left and Paddy and Martin Kelly top right. Bottom left their sister Mary and bottom right Martin Kelly with his wife Violet and my mum as a little girl. In the boxes, Violet's earrings and eternity ring.
Top left Thomas Skelhorn in the back yard of Denford Road, Liverpool, my mum's grandad. Bottom left Thomas with three of his sons, Stephen, John and Thomas. Centre, my nan, Thomas' daughter Violet and bottom right my nan Violet on the right, her sister Mary on the left and Mary's husband, George in the centre.
I hope you have enjoyed looking at our VE day celebrations and my family photos.
