ID: ML2020_006_066

TitleVictory Day Street Party
AbstractPhotographs of 1945 Victory Celebrations on Mersea are rare. but Mary Crisp née Smith loaned us a picture of the Victory Day Street Party held in the Dawes Lane - East Road area. A similar photograph from Chloe Mole recently appeared on Facebook, with a helpful board at the bottom "Victory Day Street Party". We do not have a date for the party - perhaps June 1945 ?

The party was organised by Vic Quigley. There was a bonfire on the meadow that then existed between Brierley Hall and Cross Lane. Mary Smith's parents farmed Brierley Hall at the time, and her father had to keep an eye on the fire for several days afterwards.

1. Back Row 1. Shirley Lee (Greenleaf), 2. Peter Watsham, 3. Ray Coppin, 4. Tony Watsham, 5. Colin Benns, 6. Hughie Farthing, 7. John Benns
Row 2. 1. Gordon Russell, 2. John Parkin, 3. John Watsham
Row 3. 1. Joyce Roberts (Johnson}, 2. Jenny Mole (Peck), 3. Anne Green (Mole), 4. Margaret Sheldrick (Lothian), 5. Sheila Lane (Saunders), 6. Marina Watsham
Row 4. 1. David Baveystock, 2. Celia Penton, 3. Brenda Lane, 4. Anne Lord ?, 5. Roger Sheldrick 6. Jane Quigley (Webb), 7. Doris King (Rampling)
Row 5. 1., 2. Shirley Parkin, 3. Sylvia Lane ?, 4. Pat Green ?, 5. Anne Watsham ? 6. Wendy Green (Grainger), 7. Christine Russell (Cant), 8. David Lord
Row 6. Front Row 1. Barbara Russell (Oppezzo), 2., 3., 4. Peter ? Bibby, 5. Norma Hoy ?, 6. Terry Watsham ?, 7. Brian Hart, 8. Joy Quigley (Parnell)

Published in Regional Life June 2020. Because of Coronavirus, the May edition did not appear. The June edition combined Mersea Life and Tiptree Life and was a small format, delivered by Royal Mail.

SourceMersea Museum
IDML2020_006_066