Winchcombe Place celebrates VE Day in 1940s style

Home news

May 11, 2017

Winchcombe Place took a trip down memory lane when residents celebrated Victory in Europe Day.

The team at Winchcombe Place were joined by the Mayor of Newbury, Councilor Julian Swift Cook, and squaddies from the local barracks for the celebrations.

Everyone got into the party spirit for the occasion, with the Winchcombe Place team dressing in period attire, and live music from the 1940s provided by Sarah Saunders.

One resident who particularly enjoyed the celebration was 102-year-old John Lill. John was a member of the Royal Engineers during the Second World War and enjoyed sharing his memories of the war with the soldiers.

The home was decorated with 1945 memorabilia for a celebration reminiscent of the street parties which were widely held in Newbury and beyond at the time of the Allied victory in Europe which marked the end of the Second World War.

Stephanie Jones, home manager at Winchcombe Place, said: “There can be little doubt that the Second World War played a huge part in the lives of so many, and here at Winchcombe Place we wanted to honour VE Day in as fitting a way as possible. 

“We wanted to evoke the spirit of the street parties and other celebrations which were held at the time. The residents had a wonderful time reminiscing as they were taken back to the mid-1940s for what proved to be a very special day.”