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VE DAY In Beaconsfield Road (formerly Alma Street).
When the news was announced the neighbours began planning a street party. It would be held in the Alma Street part of Beaconsfield Road near the bomb damaged area.
Everyone joined in and on the day the centre of the street was filled with tables and chairs covered with sheets. Every family brought food to share and the tables groaned under the weight of sasage rolls, cakes , sandwiches(spam of course) and anything else that could be found.
A fancy dress parade for the kids was organised and I dressed as an Arab, proudly wearing a real headress brought back from Alamein by my 'uncle Bill Ives'. My brothers painted me with Bournville Cocao so that I looked the part. My girlfriend Margaret Farrow stole first prize however, as Mae West, although we were both only 9 years old. I had to be content with second prize.
The party went on till the small hours with many people providing entertainment on the makeshift stage erected on the back of a lorry. The area used for the party was the site of three bombed houses that had been cleared by the menfolk to provide a large space to dance and generally mill around and talk to all our neighbours. It was right next to the large Emergency Water Supply tank built for the fire brigade to use. It was a wonderful time of joy and neighbourliness, most having safely come through the nightmare of the war.

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