How VE Day was celebrated in Upper Beeding in 1945

Victory in Europe was celebrated in Upper Beeding with street parties and two days of holiday for the schoolchildren.
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Photographs were taken of a large street party that was held in Brookway, now called Pound Lane, and some of the people who were children in them are still resident in Upper Beeding.

Beeding and Bramber Local History Society kindly shared these photographs with us to remind everyone of the VE Day celebrations in 1945.

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Pat Nightingale, society member, said: “A resident who was a little girl at the time remembers running to Beeding bridge to see a band of Scottish soldiers coming from Bramber and marching through the village wearing kilts and playing bagpipes.

Celebrating VE Day in Upper Beeding in 1945. Picture: Beeding and Bramber Local History SocietyCelebrating VE Day in Upper Beeding in 1945. Picture: Beeding and Bramber Local History Society
Celebrating VE Day in Upper Beeding in 1945. Picture: Beeding and Bramber Local History Society

“Another elderly resident of the village, who was a young man at the time, remembers celebrating VE Day in Henfield, where there was a fun fair, tea and cakes – and lots of girls.”

In the first photo, the little boy on the right is Paul Norris, now treasurer of Steyning Museum. In the pram is his sister, Betty, now Betty Munnery.

Behind the pram, the girl with dark hair is Brenda Emsley, who can names many of the other people in the two photos, though she cannot remember much of the day.

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

Celebrating VE Day in Upper Beeding in 1945. Picture: Beeding and Bramber Local History SocietyCelebrating VE Day in Upper Beeding in 1945. Picture: Beeding and Bramber Local History Society
Celebrating VE Day in Upper Beeding in 1945. Picture: Beeding and Bramber Local History Society
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