Looking back: VE Day in Market Rasen coincided with the May Fair - and the celebrations continued for the rest of the year too

That was how the Market Rasen Mail of May 12, 1945, began its report of festivities following Winston Churchill’s announcement that the war in Europe had ended.

Now, 75 years on, Market Rasen was to once more mark this occasion, but with the coronavirus guidelines still in place that isn’t to be.

Instead we can look back at how the town came together in 1945 through the words on the pages of the Rasen Mail.

‘Union Jacks fluttered over every shop and every house in the main and side streets, and here and there were to be seen also the flags of the United Nations, chiefly the Stars and Stripes of the United States and one or two Soviet emblems.

‘After Mr Churchill’s speech, peals were rung on the bells of the parish church and the vicar, the Rev AHG Gardner-Brown BD, at 4pm conducted a short service of thanksgiving at the church.’

Services were also held at the town’s Methodist and Catholic churches.

VE Day coincided with the Market Rasen May Fair.

The Market Place was filled with roundabouts, swing boats and amusement booths, which, decorated with dozens of Union Jacks, we are told, ‘added greatly to the town’s festive air’.

De Aston School had a huge bonfire crowned with ‘an effigy representing Nazidom’.

We are told it blazed into the night, with crackers let off and wartime songs sung.

However, over at Padley’s pits was a bonfire of an unofficial kind, as someone ‘in a spirit of exuberance’ fired the gorse bushes.

In the town’s Market Place, a V-sign glowing with electric bulbs was put up by Mr G R Spencer and De Aston School also had an illuminated V sign about 6ft high.

It had not been, however, possible for any of the street lamps to be lit.

Most of the town’s licensed houses took advantage of the V-Day extension of one hour, granted by the local justices.

However, the Mail reported the supplies of beer ‘were not quite equal to the demand’ so several had to close before their permitted hours expired.

An outside broadcast of Mr Churchill’s speech was given and local announcements were also amplified in this way.

On the Wednesday of that week, a team of bellringers from Walesby visited the town and rang a peal of church bells.

We are told: ‘Walesby itself had more bells rung on V-Day than any other village in Lincolnshire.

‘In its two churches, there are 16 bells and their joyful peals could be heard miles away.’

Mr EW Chapman organised, at short notice, a V-Day dance in the Corn Exchange, raising £20 for the Welcome Home Fund.

There was a string of VE Day street parties arranged too.

In Waterloo Street, there were 55 children in the Old Boys Club room. The few absent children, due to whooping cough, had their celebration tea sent to their homes.

In Serpentine Street, 60 children partied in Mr Rowett’s garage and in Oxford Street, Mrs Mainprize gave 2/6 to each child.

There were also celebrations in Mill Road and Coronation Road.

This is how the Market Rasen Mail recorded the party in ‘One of Rasen’s Little Streets’ - Prospect Place:

‘Prospect Place is not one of Market Rasen’s most fashionable streets but when VE Day came it showed how highly developed is its community sense.

‘Alone among the Rasen streets, this was the only one which fully celebrated

‘When the announcement came over the radio “Tomorrow is to be VE Day,” Mrs Codd put down her iron and said “What is Prospect going to do about it?”

‘She consulted a neighbour, Mrs Kingsley, and then others.

‘Everybody was keen. Everybody agreed that the street should rise to the occasion.

‘First it was thought that there should be a big tea party in the street but this idea had to be dropped because of weather uncertainty.

‘Mr F Blow then readily placed the rooms over the Working Men’s Club at the disposal of the street and it was here that over 40 children and the members of the Town Band, who were called in to enliven the proceedings, were entertained to tea.

‘Councillor GH Bower, one of the best known residents in Prospect Place, presented each child with a threepenny piece given by Miss Blow and other gifts, obtained from the balance of money readily subscribed, included biscuits, sweets, and a packet of crisps and a bottle of minerals for each child.

‘A bonfire was lit in Coun Bower’s garden and was surmounted by what is said to have been a very realistic effigy of Hitler.

‘There were sports in the evening for both children and grown ups.’

Celebrations continued later in the month, with a Grand Victory Ball in aid of the Market Rasen Welcome Home Fund at The Corn Exchange, with the RAF Dance Band.

A garden VE fête was also held at Clare Lodge, with more than 200 people attending, raising a further £852 17s 4d.

The vicar won a pig in the bowling competition which he gave back to be sold for funds.

○ Grateful thanks go to Caroline Foster of Rase Heritage Society for her helpful research into the VE Day celebrations and supplying pictures.

Caroline hopes to be able to present her planned talk on VE Day in Rasen at a society meeting later in the year.