Family event to mark launch of Second World War project
Bluntisham and Colne celebration to park end of WW2, Leon Bruyneel, from St Neots, with his Rover 16 1938, - Credit: Archant
A project to enable older residents in Bluntisham and Colne to share their stories about the end of the Second World War was officially launched at the weekend.
Bluntisham and Colne celebration to park end of WW2, brother and sister-in-law Frank Day, and Margaret Day, with some of the family medals, - Credit: Archant
Bluntisham Parish Council ran an event on Saturday August 15 alongside the neighbouring village of Colne to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
The parish council managed to run the event on a shoestring of about £300 and Bluntisham parish clerk Tracey Davidson said: “We had to beg, borrow and steal, but we wanted to put on a good day for residents.”
The commemoration to mark the end of the Second World War had many activities for residents of all ages, including an allotment ‘Dig for Victory’, children’s plant-growing contest, vintage hairdresser, local choirs, Lindy Hop dancing, vintage cars and bikes, and arts and crafts.
DiY Communities CIC (Community Interest Company), which is based in St Ives, was also there celebrating its award from the Heritage Lottery Fund of a Sharing Heritage grant for the ‘Celebrations and Memories of World War Two’ project in the two villages.
Bluntisham and Colne celebration to park end of WW2, Hilary Cox, photographing for Memories Of Bluntisham & Colne, with Carl Knapp, Rachel Napp, daughters Sophie Knapp, and Emily Knapp, in costume, from Bluntisham, - Credit: Archant
Voluntary director Susannah Harris said: “There is a huge amount of unknown history in the two villages and we know there’s so much more to discover about the heritage of local residents, as well as newer members of the community.”
The project will concentrate on collecting and sharing the memories of daily life at the end of the conflict from older residents in the villages. The aim of the initiative is to learn more about how people’s lives were affected in Bluntisham and Colne by speaking to people who lived there at the time or moved there after the war.
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The collected data will then be shared with residents of both villages at a public presentation.
