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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by a volunteer from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Berkshire on behalf of Peter and has been added to the site with his permission. Peter fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

In addition to my comments up to VE Day perhaps you may be interested to know that after VE Day we at the West Ham School of Building continued our life as usual and up to VJ Day in a fairly normal way — we were grateful that the raids had finished and that we could get a full night’s sleep without the risk of not waking-up.

I recall during the summer school holidays of 1945 we (that is 2 friends and I) went down Maulden to work on a farm at Little Maulden and earn some pocket money. My two sisters were nearby and we were able to stay in a disused army hut to sleep.

When VJ Day arrived, I remember we all went down to the Queens Head at Little Maulden and stayed until the early hours (until the beer etc ran out) and no question of underage drinking, we as 15 year olds got really ‘Blotto’ and I remember having a hangover for ages afterwards — but, the war was over and we were jubilant and really let our hair down — one thing I don’t remember — who paid for the drinks?!!!

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