Friday 8 May 2020

VE-Day in Loughborough

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, known as VE-Day.

The UK Parliament webpages state the death toll for the military was approximately 384,000, while that for civilians was around 70,000, making a total of around 454,000 people who died during the conflict.
https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/olympic-britain/crime-and-defence/the-fallen/ At the time, in 1939, the population of the UK was around 40 million people, so this amounts to just over 1% of the population.

On 8th May 1945, Loughborough folk, along with the rest of the country, celebrated with street parties across the town. Despite this being a time of food rationing (amongst other things), people still managed to rustle up plenty of food to feed the excited children who were sitting at the trestle tables in the middle of the street! Of course, celebrations were bitter-sweet – wonderful that the war in Europe was finally over, but war was continuing in Japan (finally coming to an end in August 1945), and many families had lost loved ones during the conflict.

In 1995 the people of Loughborough again celebrated VE-Day, this time the 50th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe. Events took place in the town over the weekend of 6th and 7th of May, with a concert in the town hall on the Saturday evening, and a 1940s dance was held on the university campus. On the Sunday there were a variety of memorial services, a parade, a carillon recital, and a concert by the Hathern Band!

This year, 2020, the 75th anniversary of VE-Day, there were to have been numerous events across the whole of Loughborough, and I’m sure there were many private events and street parties planned. However, on 23rd March 2020, the Prime Minister decreed that due to the presence of coronavirus, we were all to stay home and not meet with people outside our household until told we could. So, VE-Day celebrations have been for the most part cancelled.


Although, people living on Middleton Place – a street I’ve blogged about before – have been invited to have a picnic in their front garden, at the same time as their neighbours are having a picnic in theirs! No danger of getting any closer than the requisite 2 metres, but a chance to at least see people who they might not have seen for 6 weeks or so! And, maybe a chance to dress up a bit, and put out a bit of bunting? I know some people think we should no longer be commemorating wars *, but surely in these strange times, we need an excuse to party.



Anyway, back to Middleton Place **, it’s a street that’s predominantly made up of Victorian terraced villas, and is fairly typical of house-building of that time. What it also has, though, is quite a lot of infill, which has taken place across quite a number of periods, so I thought I’d just give you an indication of which houses existed before the Second World War, which were around during the war, and new ones that appeared up until 1962 (restricted to these years because the street directories I would normally consult are locked away in the library, so I’m relying on the only ones I actually have copies of). I’ve also indicated who lived here, but not made any attempt to consolidate the names, so they appear exactly as they do in the directories. I’ve also included names from some census returns.


Inhabitants of Middleton Place pre-Second World War
House number
Inhabitants in 1901 (Directory)
Inhabitants in 1911 (Census)
Inhabitants in 1927 (Directory)
1
There has never been a No.1
There has never been a No.1
There has never been a No.1
3
F. Harris
Anthony Judge & Mary Judge
J.A. Rue
5
T. Hope
Charles Robert Masters & Elizabeth Masters
Mrs Masters
7
H. Biddles
Hugh Osmond Payne & Florence & Eric Payne
S. Hill
9
F.G. Mee
Frederick Neale & Clara, Frederick Neale, & Robert Henry Mould
H. Antill
11
G. Hall
William Henry Clarke & Ruth & Edward Leslie Clarke
F. Philp
13
J. Start
Charles Sinister & Sarah & Leonard Sinister & Harriet Swallow
F. Neale
15
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
17
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
19
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
21
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
23
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
45
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
47
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
49
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
51
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
53
J. Frisby
Samuel Charles Laws & Ellen Laws
F. Keightley
55
Rev. T. Richards
Lucy Nightingale & Thora May Bancroft
O. Orchard
57
Miss White
George Loudon & Jessie, Margaret Norton, & Hugh Kerr Loudon & Margaret Kerr
D. P. Grudgings
59
R.H. Taylor
Thomas Porter & Evelyn Porter
T. Porter, jnr.
61
Mrs Carver
Albert Ernest Clifton & Ada Emma Clifton
Mrs Cradock
63
W. Dennis
William George Spooner & Nelly Maud Spooner & Lucy Harrison
B. Green
65
J. Percy
Bertie Trevor Davies & Dorothy Wynne Davies
J.F. Driver
67
J. Swinden
None listed
J.L. Godsell
69
Not yet built
Not yet built
Not yet built
71
Not yet built
Not yet built
Not yet built
73
Not yet built
Not yet built
Not yet built
77
Mrs Smith
Thomas Porter & Sarah Porter & Edith Porter
Mrs Porter
79
E. Stapleton
Gerald S. Grudgings & Mary C. Grudgings, & Clara McHugh, Herbert McHugh & Dorothy McHugh
G. Grudgings
81
T. Allen
Arthur Tucker, & Mary Ellen, Ida Mary & Arthur Leslie Tucker
S. Champkin
83
A. Moss
Frank Newton Nield, & Edyth Annie & Mary Isabel Nield, & Nellie Aderlaide Masterton & Teresa Williams
None listed
85
Not yet built
John White, & Sarah Elizabeth, Elsie Adela, John Leslie, Sidney Charles, Henry Kirk & Ronald White
J. McKeon
87
Not yet built
Christopher Lucas & Amelia Lucas
A. Telfer
20
Not  built until 1986
Not  built until 1986
Not  built until 1986
22
Not yet  built
Not yet built
F. Smith
24
Not yet built
Not yet  built
A.E. Brown


Inhabitants of Middleton Place in 1939 and 1941, during the Second World War
House number
Inhabitants in 1939 (Directory)
Inhabitants in 1939 (Register)
Inhabitants in 1941 (Directory)
1
There has never been a No.1
There has never been a No.1
There has never been a No.1
3
J.A. Rue
Elsie Bass & Roy & Brian Bass
E.R. Bass
5
E. Brown
Elland Ganderton (?) & Louisa Ganderton (?)
None listed
7
E.R. Bass
None
A. Hunt
9
E. Pepper
Edward Pepper & Ellen T. Pepper, & Alice E. & Sadie Frier
E. Pepper
11
W. Pepper
R.G. Pepper
W. Pepper
13
F. Neale
Frederick Neale & Clara Neale
F. Neale
15
Not  built until 1977
Not built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
17
Not  built until 1977
Not built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
19
Not  built until 1977
Not built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
21
Not  built until 1977
Not built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
23
Not  built until 1977
Not built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
45
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
47
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
49
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
51
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
53
E. Martin
Edgar S. Martin & Mabel Martin
E. Martin
55
Mrs Allsopp
Fanny Allsopp & Hanna Hartnell (?)
Mrs Allsopp
57
J. Taylor
Joseph Taylor & Jane & Mary Taylor
J. Taylor
59
T. Porter
Thomas Porter & Evelyn Porter & Irene Shetton
T. Porter
61
J. Roberts
Eddwin T. Webster, Ida Webster, & Michael W.R.Webster
E.J. Webster
63
D.C. Vickers
Donald Vickers & Doris & Brian Vickers & Kate Beaton
D.C. Vickers
65
R. Ashby
Reuben Ashby & Gertrude Ashby
R. Ashby
67
J.L. Godsell
Gertrude A. Godsell
Mrs Godsell
69
W.W. Street
William W. Street & Elizabeth Street
W.W. Street
71
Not yet built
Edith M. Glover
None listed
73
Not yet built
? Winters & Doris L. Winters
Not yet built
75
None listed
None listed
None listed
77
Mrs Smith
John A. Smith, Elizabeth B. Smith & Sylvia M., Constance E. & Margaret J. Smith & Charles Been
Mrs Smith
79
W.A. Edwards
William A. Edwards, Gladys Edwards & Clara Edwards & Daisy Kellett (?)
None listed
81
G.R. Horspool
Frank Rutter & Doris E. Rutter
F. Rutter
83
W. Cartwright
William Cartwright & Rosanna Cartwright
W. Cartwright
85
J. McKeon
James McKeon & Anna McKeon
J. McKeon
87
A.Telfer
Alexander D. Telpher & Alice Maud Telpher
A. Telfer
20
Not  built until 1986
Not built until 1986
Not  built until 1986
22
Mrs Smith
Fanny Smith & Gillian M. Smith
Mrs Smith
24
J.W. Shaw
John W. Shaw & Mary J & Reginald Shaw
J.W. Shaw


Inhabitants of Middleton Place in the Post-war Years, 1951 & 1962
House number
Inhabitants in 1951 (Directory)
Inhabitants 1962 (Directory)
1
There has never been a No.1
There has never been a No.1
3
E. Bass
Elsie Bass
5
J.L. Beaton
John L. Beaton
7
L. Middleton
None listed
9
E. Pepper
Edward Pepper
11
T.S. Dixon
Walter J. Pepper
13
G.A. White
Margaret M. Trotter
15
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
17
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
19
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
21
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
23
Not  built until 1977
Not  built until 1977
45
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
47
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
49
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
51
Not built until 1959
Not built until 1959
53
J. Pringle (Bottom Flat)
S. H. Pilkington (Top Flat)
Colin I. Boniwell
55
H.E. Unwin
Stanley J. Holyfield
57
F.M. Taylor
Jane Taylor
59
T. Porter
Evelyn Porter
61
R. Orgill
Michael E. Cox
63
D.C. Vickers
Brian J. Vickers
65
R. Ashby
D. S. Evans
67
G.A. Godsell
Gertrude A. Godsell
69
S.E. Cheetham
Charles E. Cheetham
71
J.P. Sutton
Eric Briers
73
A.Winters
Amos Winters
75
None listed
None listed
77
E.B. Smith
Stanley B. Slater
79
R.E.T. Hack
Richard A. Sutton
Michael G. Lee
81
W. Blenkinsop
Winifred Brown (81b)
83
R. Cartwright
Rosanna Cartwright
85
F.C. Hickling
Francis Hickling
87
A.D. Telfer
Alice M. Telfer
20
Not  built until 1986
Not  built until 1986
22
F. Smith
Albert E. Bowler
24
A.E. Brown
Annie Hutt


And to finish off the post here's some photographs of decorated houses along the street on VE-Day 2020:


















Finally, nothing to do with Middleton Place, but the parish church invited the people of Loughborough to record themselves singing along to 'We'll meet again', which those clever people at the church put together to produce a 'choir'! Here's a link

And now, I shall leave you! Until we meet again!


See:
*This link
**See related blogposts: A society wedding; Knocking on the door to the past and Winter walk around Charnwood Water


You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2020). VE-Day in Loughborough. Available fromhttps://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2020/05/ve-day-in-loughborough.html  [Accessed 8 May 2020]

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