DearBlogger
In 2004 the Charter Committee was formed to raise interest in the village to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the granting of Ruyton XI Towns Borough Charter in 1308.
Over the next 4 years we had to raise enough funds to put on a Medieval Festival in 2008. So, a series of events and celebrations were organised to raise interest in the village.
In 2005, it was the 60th anniversary of the end of Second World War so I produced a
VILLAGE HOME FRONT EXHIBITION
showing how people lived in villages like Ruyton XI Towns all over Britain in those difficult six years.
Although Shropshire did not suffer hugely from bombings and destruction – the Germans had no idea where Shropshire was, any more than Roger and I did when we arrived in the county in 1969. Nevertheless, lives were changed beyond recognition for everyone. Although many men were in protected occupations such as farming and the dairy, but men did leave the village to go to war and women managed to cope on their own in the very difficult circumstances. We have to remember that rationing of food went on for several more years after VE day.
Although VE Day on 8th May was a celebration of the end of the war in Europe, it was not until14th August that VJ Day was when Japan surrendered – and a young sailor from Ruyton XI Towns was right there in Singapore to experience the event
As we approach the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war I thought I would send out some of the panels which told the story of life on the Village Home Front from that exhibition in 2005.
Here are the first attachments and I will send more every few days. I hope you will enjoy these memories, produced when so many people still with us in 2005 had been through the war as adults or children.
Yoland
