“Packed programme and strong traffic measures" in place for Woodhall's 40s Festival

Now in its 11th year, the annual Woodhall Spa 1940s Festival returns this Saturday and Sunday (July 8 and 9), celebrating the best of life on the British home front and Lincolnshire’s unique role in WWII.

The festival’s organising committee are estimating high attendance like previous years over the two festival days, with reports of people travelling from USA, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, Germany and New Zealand.

Warm-up events for the festival will including free entertainments at Jubilee Park, The Inn and The Golf Hotel on Friday evening, before the event kicks off with a commemorative parade and service in Royal Square at 10am on Saturday.

Throughout the weekend, the packed schedule will see drop-in dance classes at Coronation Hall at 11.30am on both days, appearances and speeches from Field Marshal Bernard ‘Monty” Montgomery and Winston Churchill impersonators, Best Dressed Competition on both days, to be judged and presented at 2.30 at The Inn, a WWII farming exhibition outside Coronation Hall, a genuine Spitfire in the grounds of the Petwood Hotel, and the returns of the “skirmish” battle re-enactment at 1pm on both days in honour of the 1st Airlanding Brigade that was stationed in Woodhall Spa from late 1943 until they flew off to take part in the battle at Arnhem.

Visitors can also witness Living History Groups stationed throughout the Pinewoods, as well as displays of military and civilian vintage vehicles at Jubilee Park and Station Road/The Broadway, and Flypasts by the RAF Coningsby’s RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Lancaster, Spitfire, and Hurricane on both days (subject to weather and aircraft serviceability).

Additional to the packed and free-to-enjoy programme of re-enactment groups and specialist 1940s entertainers such as favourites Brandyn Shaw, Stuart Lowther as “George Formby”, The Lancashire Belle, Cleopatra Ridgeway, Boston’s The Dream Belles and Woodhall Spa’s own Miss Sarah-Jane.

Residents are encouraged to check and adhere to the temporary traffic management scheme which is in place 9am to 6pm on both event days.

The organisers wish to remind readers that Broadway and Station Road will be closed to all traffic during those hours and a number of residential roads are only accessible to residents with passes distributed in June.

Parking is available at four designated areas on Tattershall Road, Monument Road, Green Lane and Horncastle Road and use the shuttle service to and from the centre of the festival action.

Blue badge parking is located at the Kinema in the Woods car park.

Chairman of the organising committee, Andy Hunter, said that this year is particularly exciting: “Once more, we are very excited to celebrate Woodhall Spa’s unique contribution to history and welcome visitors to the village.

"Businesses and residents alike really do step up to help us show off Woodhall Spa at its very best, and we’re all set to do it all again. We have a packed programme with old favourites and some new entertainers, educational displays, village-wide choices of food and drink, commemorations and - hopefully - good weather.

"Our traffic management plan is further strengthened for this year. I’d encourage residents to check our website for a reminder of the plan that is designed to keep their roads free of traffic and I thank them for all their support and cooperation.”

Leader of East Lindsey District Council Coun Craig Leyland added: “It was fantastic to see the Woodhall Spa 1940s Festival make such a strong post-Covid return last year so I have no doubt that the 2023 event will be better still.

"Not only is the event a lot of fun and marks the role Woodhall played throughout World War II, but it also generates an immeasurably positive economic impact. Many of the village’s businesses see a significant surge in footfall during the weekend and we are confident that people return to the village again to stay in the hotels and campsites, eat in the cafes and explore our heritage offer.

"I wish the organising committee the best and look forward to a fantastic weekend”.

The 2023 Festival is the first to be delivered since the volunteer committee created the Woodhall Spa 1940s Festival Community Interest Company (CIC) earlier in the year.

The new company simply formalises the entity of the festival and cements its status as a not-for-profit organisation that officially exists to organise the festival and contribute funds via grants to Woodhall Spa charities, good causes, groups and community assets.

While the annual event now costs in excess of £120,000 to organise, surplus income is paid back to the community.

Last year the committee created a £5,000 fund for Ukrainian refugees who had come to the village; this has since paid for school uniforms, books, transport and social and wellbeing activities. The wider grant scheme has also funded new chairs for the bowls club, a new defibrillator at St Peter’s Hall, projects for St Andrew’s School and sponsorship of shirts for Woodhall Spa FC’s Under 15’s team.

Visit www.woodhall-spa-40s-festival.com for full details and to plan your visit, or pick up a copy of the Festival newspaper from The Cottage Museum and The Post Office in Woodhall Spa or any of the Showguides & Info Points for just £1.