Warwick’s VE-Day celebrated all over again!

There’ll be the chance to jitterbug and jive as well as waltz or try out the American Smooth in the elegant surroundongs of the Old Court House ballroom on May 1.

But before the dance, volunteers in the Unlocking Warwick group are hoping more local people will come forward with memories they can share or photographs of the town during the war, or at one of the VE-Day street parties.

These will then form part of a display at the refurbished Court House in Jury Street which now has a lift.

Rich Thompson, chairman of the 30-strong Unlocking Warwick Volunteers, said: “Tickets for the dance go on sale this week.

“And people are advised to book early as we can accommodate only 68 in the ballroom where music will be provided by a specialist DJ playing some classic phonographic dance recordings.”

Tickets, complete with a ration card printed on the back, cost £20 each, and will give dancers access to a fish and chip supper served from a NAAFI-style canteen.

The event will be introduced with a few realistic air raid sirens to set the scene for Warwick on 8th May, 1945, when Victory in Europe was assured but the war in the Far East continued to rumble on.

The volunteers, who are organising the whole event, hope some will turn-up in 1940s style outfits to add to the atmosphere.

There will also be a presentation of memories and eye-witness accounts from the day.

Earlier in the war Warwick people remembered the noise of the Coventry Blitz some 11 mils away. And closer to home the bombs that fell on the Lockheed factory in Leamington.

Warwick itself didn’t remain entirely unscathed. Even in recent years Courier reporters have interviewed men who as young boys remember hearing the stray stick bomb dropped on St Mary’s Common in 1941 that led to the deaths of Royal Warwickshire reservist Harry Marston who was strolling home with his friend James Height.

The VE-Day dance is just one of a series of events being laid on by the volunteers, who have already staged courtroom re-enactments,school visits and a successful Regency ball last Christmas.

Mr Thompson said: “We’d love a few more volunteers as this project has proved a great way of bringing the community together and learning more about our historic town.”

Dance tickets are on sale at the Court House,tel 492212, Anyone with memories or snaps can contact Fran Goodwin on [email protected] or leave their details at the Visitor Centre.