Back to the fab forties this weekend!

Now in its tenth year, the festival, which celebrates the British home front and Lincolnshire’s role in World War II, has grown to become one of the most popular 1940s events in the UK.

More than 50,000 visitors attended the 2019 event, but the festival had to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now it is all set for a 2022 return, the festival’s organising committee estimate the same attendance in the village over Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July, with warm-up events including entertainment at Jubilee Park and a party at Woodhall Country Park on Friday.

On top of the programme of re-enactment groups and 1940s entertainers, such as Brandyn Shaw, Stuart Lowther as “George Formby”, The Dream Belles and Woodhall Spa’s own Miss Sarah Jayne, other activities will include drop-in dance classes at Coronation Hall at 11:30am on both days, appearances from Field Marshal Bernard ‘Monty” Montgomery and Winston Churchill impersonators.

There will also be a Best Dressed Competition, a WWII farming exhibition outside Coronation Hall, a Spitfire in the grounds of the Petwood Hotel and plenty of displays of military and civilian vintage vehicles.

A Flypast by the RAF Coningsby’s RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Lancaster, Spitfire, and Hurricane will also be on both days.

Chairman of the organising committee, Andy Hunter said: “We are so excited to bring back one of the region’s leading events for not only the first time since 2019, but for our tenth anniversary year.

"There is a great appetite from locals and visitors alike for the festival to return after the doldrums of the pandemic, and we are all looking forward to putting on a first-rate weekend.

"We are all ready and set and I would like to thank the residents and businesses of Woodhall Spa in advance for their part in making this festival such a success.”

East Lindsey District Council leader Coun Craig Leyland is also keen to see the return of the festival and commends the economic benefit of this event:

“The Woodhall Spa 1940s Festival is a significant highlight in the Lincolnshire calendar, and it is great to see the festival all set to come back this weekend,” he said, “It is a real boon to the Woodhall Spa economy and its return will hopefully see local businesses busy and thriving this coming weekend.

"We must do all we can to support our beautiful village, get behind the businesses and promote the vibrant Lincolnshire visitor economy. The organisers do a great job and given how the event has grown over the years their commitment to ensure this is well run is much appreciated.”

The festival is sponsored by the Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Country Park, and McCarthy Stone, with support from Jubilee Park and SRP Hire Solutions.

Visit www.woodhall-spa-40s-festival.com for full details.