Celebrating VE Day and Flora Day.....

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Hello everyone on this day of celebration, the 65th anniversary of Victory in Europe. know I haven't been blogging for a while and I am sorry for this but I thought I would make an appearence now to mark this day. I have been very busy but today I have time as I am taking it easy for a few days as I underwent a minor procedure Friday...(I had a lump removed from my 'nether region' and they had a look around my womb..lol..) so I have a few stitches...ouch... Thank goodness I was out of it, which saved me feeling very undignified..lol.. But back to the reason for this post....

Four year old Jeannie Lebby celebrating VE Day 1945, Battersea, London

Sadly she died a rew days later from meningitis..(Imperial War Museum)

May 8th 1945 was the date when WW11 allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. Millions celebrated in the streets to mark the end of the European part of the war....

Churchill waves to crowds in Whitehall on the day he broadcast to the Nation that the war with Germany had been won, 8th May 1945 ~ wikipedia ~

In London King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by PM Winston Churchill, appeared on the balcony of the Palace before the cheering crowd.....

Harry S Truman ~ Truman Library ~

In the United States President Harry S Truman, who turned 61 that day, dedicated the victory in memory of his predcessor Franklin D Roosevelt, who had died less than a month before.....

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Many places around Britain celebrate this day with wartime events and I was lucky enough to be in Nottingham around this time in 2008. I was therefore able to visit such an event at Nottingham Life Museum at Brewer's Yard....I would like to share with you the photographs I took then...

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Getting ready to stand on Parade..




A vintage van full of goodies

Troops at the ready...

Wouldn't be an event without a Spiv...

Now that is what you call a pinny...

This dear lady was in the Land Army during the War

These girls could sing...

I've got a tub and scales like these..lol..



These two gentlemen were a pleasure to talk too

The gent on the left was also wearing his father and grandfather's medals

Aussie Digger



Where would we be without our farmers

Chrissie & Ruth, two lovely ladies I got chatting too

Now this is what you call a car

ATS Standing proud

Nice vintage pushchair. This gentleman and his wife below

had a large collection of prams, these were just two of them

What a beautiful pram. Give me a Coach pram any day..

Having a rest..

What a collection..



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Not only is May 8th VE Day but here in Cornwall it is also Flora day. The Flurry Dance, as it is known, takes place each year on May 8th unless it falls on a Sunday or Monday, then it will take place the preceding Saturday. It is a pagan celebration and the day starts with the first dance at 7 am, continues with the children's dance at 10 am, followed by the midday dance and the final dance is at 5 pm.....The midday dance was traditionally the dance of the gentry and today the men wear top-hat and tails and the ladies their finest frocks...

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Flora Day is held in Helston and we last went to see the dance in 2003, can't believe it's 7 years ago....The photographs shown here are from that time...


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Ladies and Gents dancing through the streets



There was so many different style's of dresses and hats seen this day

Traditionally the dancers wear Lily of the Valley, the symbolic flower of Helston. The gentlemen wear it on the left and the ladies on the right........

Lily of the Valley




These gents and ladies must be tired at the end of the day..lol..

A glimpse of how busy it is..

Unfortunately we missed the children's dance, which consists of many children aged 7-18. All wearing white with Lily of the Valley buttonholes. Four local schools take part with a different school leading the dance each year. The boys wear their school colors in the form of ties and the girls wear matching coloured flowers....

Blue Cornflowers for St. Michaels School

Forget-me-Nots for Helston Community College

Daisies for Nansloe School

Poppies for Parc Eglos School, in their hair..

(Information for Flora Day curtsey of wikipedia)


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Helston is beautifully decorated with garlands and flowers and the music is played by Helston Town Band and other local bands. There are stalls and other events and a fair...In 2003 we took along with us Vikki, the then girlfriend of my son Christopher who was away in Nottingham at the time....So off to the fair we went...

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Vikki with the skeleton we got for Christopher...

We aptly named her Flora Bones...lol...

Andy and Vikki leaving the Waltzer...

I declined, I prefer taking piccies...lol..

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Well my friends, that's it for now. Hope to be back soon with my ramblings. Got lots to tell you but that's for later...Take care...Hugs Chrissy xx

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