The Express & Star visit Parkfield Grange Care Home, Stourbridge, as they prepare for VE Day celebrations.

Express & Star

Transcript

00:00And we're here at Parkfield Grange in Stourbridge this Friday morning.

00:04They're getting ready to commemorate VE Day, 80 years since VE Day next week.

00:11They've got a party on, they've got some military vehicles coming in,

00:16and we've been speaking to some of the residents about their memories of the actual day.

00:20Let's go inside and find out.

00:23And we're here with Sam, the Lead Wellbeing and Lifestyle Coordinator.

00:27I'm just reading your badge there.

00:29I just want to thank you, first of all, for showing us around today

00:34and talking to some of the residents.

00:37And it's leading up to what is a bit of a celebration, a party next week

00:43to commemorate 80 years of VE Day.

00:47Just tell us a couple of things that are going on there.

00:50Yeah, so we've got a week of events planned throughout the home.

00:54So we are having a street party on Tuesday the 6th.

00:58So that is open to the community, the residents.

01:01We're going to be hopefully out in the garden, if they wear the suits,

01:05just celebrating as our residents did on VE Day.

01:11Quite traditional.

01:12We've got a singer coming, so we're going to have entertainment and lots of things going on.

01:18And then on Thursday the 8th, so to commemorate VE Day itself,

01:22we've got the Starbridge Military Vehicle Parade,

01:25who are coming with a few vehicles on our car park for, again, the community.

01:30We've got some schools coming, the local community,

01:33to come and have a look at the sort of vehicles that were around in that time.

01:38And then throughout the week we're going to have a display of sort of wartime

01:43and military memorabilia throughout the home

01:45that has been loaned to us by TW Rider Army and Navy store,

01:52who have a connection with the home.

01:56So the son of TW Rider is a resident here.

02:00And we'll have that on display throughout the week

02:02for people to come and have a look and the residents to enjoy

02:05and just see different memorabilia from the time.

02:08I was always in Wales, always in Wales.

02:13And I was on, and then I heard that there was a big surprise in the,

02:21and I went down, and they're great, great big straight,

02:24great big straight, straight as anything.

02:27And my uncle said to me, here's a cigar, Harold.

02:33And I said, what do you want to do?

02:34He said, no, you can use that when you're old enough.

02:36And I never did, I was never old enough, because I never smoked.

02:40So that's the main thing.

02:41How old were you, Harold, on VE Day?

02:44About 13 and a half. I was a gal for 14, yeah.

02:48Too young to smoke.

02:49Yeah, definitely.

02:51But as you mentioned, VE Day, although you lived in West Bromwich, Great Bridge,

02:57you spent it in Wales visiting an uncle.

02:59That's it.

03:01We always, every other week we used to go down to Wales.

03:05I never know why, but we always did here.

03:09Unfortunately, he died now, but still.

03:11And some big celebrations there as well, the same as over the border.

03:16Yeah, that's right, yeah.

03:18But I remember all the dancing and singing and everything.

03:22Everybody's cheering.

03:23How on earth they got the food out, I'll never know.

03:30And you're looking forward to the 80th anniversary next week?

03:35Yeah, yeah.

03:35On Parkfield, yeah.

03:37Yeah.

03:38Yeah, and I remember it very well, but I do remember the dancing and the singing and

03:44everything.

03:45The whole, oh, and they got everything, all the chairs and tables, got them all piled up,

03:51and they burned them in the end.

03:53Really?

03:53They burned them, yeah.

03:54Mm-hmm.

03:55For a celebration.

03:56Well, you never know, there might be some singing and dancing next week for the 80th.

04:00Yeah, that's right, yeah.

04:01So enjoy that, and thank you very much for talking to us.

04:05Yeah, great.

04:08Doris, so you're the ripe old age of 95, he said, and you're from Bradmore, Wolverhampton

04:15originally.

04:16Yes.

04:16Did you spend the war years there in Wolverhampton?

04:21Yes, I was in Wolverhampton, but I didn't live in Bradmore then.

04:26No.

04:27But where I lived, it's all been locked down, and it's all altered then.

04:33Yeah, and you said you were 16 or 17 then, it was a pretty tough time.

04:38That's when it all, when it finished.

04:40When it finished, yeah.

04:41I was, oh no, I was 15 when it started, so I'll be 21 because it, that's right, it was

04:54six years.

04:55Yes.

04:56I was on 16, so I'll be 21, wouldn't I, yes.

04:59Yeah, the feeling of relief, I guess, we spoke about it off camera.

05:04Yes, yes, well there's, things were rationed, and like I say, I didn't know what a banana

05:12was, or oranges, or anything like that.

05:16So even fruit was rationed, bananas, oranges, simple things.

05:21Yes, all sorts of things were rationed, yes.

05:24Sweets were hard to get.

05:25So that must have been a relief afterwards, where there were more, it probably took a

05:32while, but more easy to come by.

05:35After the war, but things were still rationed.

05:39Yes.

05:40Yeah.

05:40For a few years.

05:42Yes.

05:43But you told us about the VE Day itself, the celebrations.

05:47Oh yes, there was dancing in the street, and yes, yes, everybody was happy.

05:54And it was a lovely, lovely evening, really.

05:59And I'm not sure, but I know at one point they had bonfires on a beacon, because I lived

06:08quite close to Sedgley Beacon.

06:11Yeah.

06:11And I know they had a bonfire on most of the beacons round, you know.

06:16Yeah, yeah.

06:17But I don't know whether it was the same night, but it was very close afterwards.

06:23And are you looking forward to the celebrations here next week, the 80th anniversary?

06:29Yes, of course.

06:32Yes.

06:33Any party.

06:34Yeah.

06:35Join me.

06:37Thanks for talking to us today.

06:39That's fine.

06:39Thanks for listening.

06:57All right.

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