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