Wonderful memories of VE Day party in Rose Green

Molly Myers will be 93 tomorrow and remembers clearly how happy the day was for everyone.

The party was held on Saturday, May 26, 1945, behind a house called Knebworth, in Hewarts Lane, in the field now known as Copthorne Caravan Park.

Molly, whose surname was Joiner at the time, remembers making several attempts to arrange a hall for the party but nowhere was available, which is why the party was held so late in May.

She said: “The weather was very kind, which was a good thing and allowed the party to take place in the field. Mums were asked to bring cups and any food they had to make a party (food was rationed) and chairs and tables.

“The Punch and Judy show was by Mr Jennings from the printers in West Street, Bognor. He was the father of Trevor Jennings, who carried on the tradition of a Punch and Judy show.

“It all turned out fine and is still remembered by some who attended and enjoyed.”

The photo, taken by Mr Lalouette, who had a shop in West Street, Bognor Regis, appears in the book Bognor at War, published by Middleton Press, and Molly still has the original.

She said the photo was also published by the Southdown Observer series on May 23, 1985, to mark the 40th anniversary.

Molly said: “I will be 93 years old on May 7 and remember so clearly how happy this VE Day party was for everyone. There must be some very wonderful memories.

“We were celebrating the end of six years of horrible war, involving the separation of families, bombing, evacuation, rationing and so on. Everyone just needed to celebrate.”

Nephew Garry Joiner, of Rose Green Road, Bognor Regis, said Molly was the driving force behind her family in arranging a celebration party for the local children, following Winston Churchill’s Victory in Europe announcement on May 8.

He said: “Molly’s family had cousins from Mitcham who were evacuees at that time and were also living in the family home during the war.

“One of those cousins was Eileen Coyle, who, like Molly, still lives in Rose Green and they are in almost daily contact with each other, both now aged 92.”

Molly recorded as many names as she could remember in 2016, being aware that no proper record of the party existed. She even added notes of what happened to some of the people.

It was W.R. Whitmarsh who sent the photo into the Observer back in 1985, as he had been a child who attended the party.

The editor at the time, Graham Brooks, wrote to Molly and she still has his letter.

Garry said: “The editor of the Observer group tried to make contact with Molly to tell the story, however, due to her busy working life at that time, a meeting never took place.”

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