Christopher South’s Story

Available for over a year

Christopher South was 7-years-old when VE Day arrived. His father was a famer and really went to town for the celebrations; he built a bonfire with a metal stake in it. From his warehouse store he then erected a wire from the building to the stake in the bonfire. Later in the evening when the bonfire was lit, an effigy of Hitler was launched from the warehouse on the wire and it slowly descended into the fire to many cheers. His mother made red, white and blue bunting from crepe paper stuck on pieces of wire which became discoloured and soggy with the little bit of rain that fell but it didn’t dampen spirits. Chris’s dad had a low trolley he used to carry his vegetables. When the street down the road from the farm wanted a street party, the residents borrowed the trolley and heaved a piano onto it and someone played it as it went down the street. The feeling of happiness and joy is something he really remembers and feels that no one else could connect to unless they had experienced VE Day.