Heritage from Home - Issue 4

Heritage from Home

About the Project Welcome to the fourth edition of Heritage from Home. This week we were meant to be taking 100 young people to perform at the National Archives.

It of course wasn’t to be. So, we are channeling our energy into finding new ways to use our research. This week Henry has been thinking about VE Day. Sharon has contemplated how we celebrate our lives. HollyAnne has made us all bunting to hang with pride in our houses.

We are turning our planned theatre show into a radio drama now. There will a series of episodes made with professional actors. If you have memories or stories to share we’d love to hear them. You can email louise@bouncetheatre.com with your stories. Or, request that we call you on the phone for a chat. We can collect a little reflection week on week.

All photos from the project with young people

Thank you so much for reading.

Louise, Holly-Anne, Henry, and Sharon at Bounce

Things to read Heritage with Henry

With VE Day fast-approaching, and the government’s exit strategy for what the end of lockdown will look like due to be published this week, now seems as good a time as any for us to look back on the original VE Day. We can look ahead to what similarities, and differences, there may be in how we’ll celebrate during, and after, this crisis.

The announcement of victory in Europe came late on Monday, 7th May 1945. The BBC interrupted its scheduled programming to announce the end of the war in Europe, with the following day, Tuesday 8th, declared a national holiday.

Many Britons didn’t wait until the following day, however, celebrating immediately. Churchill confirmed with the Ministry of Food there were enough beer supplies in London for celebrations, and the Board of Trade announced people could buy colourful bunting without ration coupons. People lit bonfires, danced in the streets, and pubs were full to the brim. Britain had known war’s end was coming, and we were going to celebrate in style. Commemorative items such as VE Day mugs were produced to mark the day, and many restaurants even had special ‘victory’ menus. Parades, and street parties were hastily organised; St Paul’s Cathedral held ten consecutive services giving thanks for peace, attended by thousands of people.

Such celebrations sound so joyous; if not for the virus, there’s little doubt there’d have been some reenactments of those celebrations, as we commemorate VE Day’s 75th Anniversary. But we are where we are.

It’s tempting to think that, like VE Day, there’ll come a moment, one single day, where we’ll all gather again, simultaneously, in pubs, restaurants, clubs and streets.

Where we’ll at last be able to hug, kiss, and embrace our loved ones, to put an arm around one another’s shoulders, dance and drink and sing, as the human race declares this virus thoroughly beaten. But it’s unlikely to be that simple.

Because we’re fighting a virus, not an army, it will be defeated not by bombs and bullets, but drugs and vaccines. If and when a vaccine comes, it’ll take time to roll out en

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masse. Even when we’re through the worst of this crisis, there’ll be no return to business as usual, no instant gatherings as with VE Day. Pubs, clubs and restaurants reopening as normal and being filled will be a long way off - until we can be sure everyone is vaccinated, some physical distancing measures will probably stay in place.

But that doesn’t mean we won’t have any celebrations in the meantime, during lockdown. WWII didn’t stop Britain celebrating special occasions, a key example being Christmas - though key ingredients and regular gifts were harder to come by, we were creative in how we celebrated. Children’s toys were made of recyclable materials, while cards were smaller and printed on more flimsy paper. Retailers weren’t allowed to sell wrapping paper for items apart from deliveries and food stuffs, but we still sang songs and carols, and had pantomimes, and the BBC still broadcast special programmes on Christmas Day, as it no doubt will this year, no matter what.

Just from those examples, it’s clear we’re less restricted today than in WWII. Where the war inevitably meant families separated for months or years on end, today, we can pick up the phone, or video call, seeing each other’s faces as we celebrate birthdays and other special occasions in lockdown.

We may not be able to fetch gifts in person, but we can still order them online - personalised for the recipient! Even theatre hasn’t been completely stopped by lockdown we at Bounce Theatre are already working on a radio play for later this

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year. James Graham’s play ‘Quiz’ was recently adapted for ITV, and the National Theatre and others have been streaming recordings of past productions online for us all to enjoy at home.

The one consistent comparison between WWII, VE Day and COVID-19 will be the mixed emotions involved.

For my own part, I know the lockdown’s brought me closer to family and long-lost friends, chatting more often, even as it’s driven us physically further apart. Both during and after this crisis, there’ll be points to reflect and remember lost loved ones, which will make the aftermath of this crisis will be bittersweet for many. But we hope by reading our newsletter, you can remember times gone by, look forward to when this really will all be at an end, and that we’ve given you some ideas as to what you can do to still enjoy yourselves and celebrate in the meantime. And of course, there’s the clap for our carers every week, where we all join together, on our doorsteps, however near or far apart, and cheer, clap, and make some noise, for our wonderful key workers - and no doubt this Thursday’s, on VE Day, will be the biggest one yet!

Memory lane

Letters, memories and photos from our participants

Above: Sara Anne O’Keeffe - My Dad, Kenneth (centre), on the Fairfield with his mates, before they got their call-up papers, probably summer 1943, or possibly early summer 1944.

Left: Street Party, Kingston, from Dawn Proctor

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Memory lane

Letters, memories and photos from our participants

Above: Sara Anne O’Keeffe - My Mum (Sylvia) and her best friend Pam standing in front of the right hand flag pole, both age 15. In a neighbour’s garden in Kingston on VE Day. Two of my aunts and cousins are also pictured.

Right: Street Party, Kingston, from Dawn Proctor

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Things to write Creative writing with Sharon

Spirit of Celebration

As this week we mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, we also want to celebrate our collective strength now. We’re reflecting on our everyday achievements and challenges big and small that we’ve overcome in our lives.

Celebration Spiral Draw a spiral. You can decorate it in any way you like, it could become a road, a river, a maze. In the spiral write down or draw some of the challenges that you’re proud you’ve overcome in your life. Write down the age you were when the challenge took place. There’s no right or wrong things to include.

Here’s an example to help you get started:

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Armchair Olympics On your marks, get set...Can you complete these gruelling challenges as part of our Home Heptathlon? Let us know how you get on and if you can think of any challenges of your own!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Elastic band javelin- how far can you flick an elastic band?

How many paperbacks can you lift with one arm?

Triple points for reading whilst you do it!

Paper plane folding and throwing. Experiment with different paper types and size to see which will go the furthest distance.

How many buttons can you land in a jar?

Make this challenge easier or harder with a bigger or smaller jar!

Dressing gown hula hoop - twist a towel or dressing gown, put it round your waist, tie it up and then get hula-ing!

Milk carton skittles - Make a bowling alley in your kitchen, how many cartons can you knock down?

Knee lift hurdles – you could put a cushion over your knees for an extra challenge when you raise them up.

Wish List - An Exhibition for the Future We’d love to know what things you’d love to do the most when the lockdown is over. Draw us a picture or find objects in your house that might symbolise your ideas and make them into an exhibition of your wish list. Here’s one we’ve come up with to get you started:

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Things to make

VE DAY 75

Art with Holly-Anne

This week Holly Anne has made bunting to celebrate VE Day. You can cut it out and string it up and add one of your own designs. Or send this to a relative and get them to make one for you!

JUST FOR FUN Who said this?

“Be active to your full capabilities.

Keep interested, read books, watch television and try to keep in touch with life and what people are doing, seeing and enjoying.”

Can you finish the lyrics?

Pack up your troubles It’s a long way White Cliffs We’ll Meet Again Don’t Know Where Don’t Know When Kiss me Goodnight Who sang “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”?

Dingbats Dingbats

10th Dr W h o

Know it No

Security

V I C V I C T O R I A O R I A

FLASHOTMES

2 4 5 1 3 6 A T L B T E

ABCDEF GHJMO PQRSTU VWXYZ

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Polmumice

BRASS

XQQME

WORDS OF OUR WEEK We are collecting slang and disappearing words from the 1940s.

Adam and Eve = believe (‘would you Adam and Eve it?’)

Apples and pears = stairs Aris = arse Do you remember these? Do we have them wrong? Can you think of any others?

CELEBRATE VE DAY Invent yourself a cocktail, make yourself afternoon tea, sit back and think about telling us a story for another issue. Look after yourself x

Answers: Dame Vera Lynne on her 100th birthday Finish the Lyrics: In your old kit bag to Tipperary Of Dover But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day.

Sargeant Major The Andrew Sisters

Dingbats: Lieutenant – Left (David) Tennant No two ways about it Order of battle Shot down in flames Top Brass High Security Victoria Cross Missing Link Mother in Law Excuse Me

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