VICTORY IN BIRMINGHAM

Britain’s second city celebrated the end of hostilities with bonhomie, good humour and reflectiveness

The weather in Birmingham was initially wet on 8 May 1945 but it did not dampen the spirits of its citizens. Like much of the rest of the country, bunting was strung out across the streets and party food was hastily assembled from saved-up rations. The hidden supplies included fireworks that were set off in the northern suburb of Kingstanding along with bonfires in Billesey. The street parties were also a carnival of improvised music with people bringing out wirelesses, gramophones and musical instruments.

In the city centre, Birmingham Cathedral held eight services on VE Day that were attended by 4,000 people while thousands converged in public areas such as New Street and the Bull Ring. Nearby Bromsgrove Street even put out a cheeky notice, “Please don’t call for the rent – we’ve spent it celebrating victory.”

No plans had been made for sound arrangements to listen to Winston Churchill’s 3.00pm broadcast in Victoria Square. However, the lord mayor – Alderman W. T. Wiggins-davies – did his best by opening his council office window and placing his personal radio on the window ledge. He then gamely led the crowd in community singing before loudspeakers were installed for George VI’S speech at 9.00pm.

After the king’s speech, Wiggins-davies made a statement, “I am proud of Birmingham and its citizens. The city has known many dark and anxious days and thousands have lost their loved ones. We think of them very specially at this moment. Thousands of us still have our loved ones away, many still in danger or as prisoners of war. May God grant us true understanding of this,

His supreme gift – the gift of freedom.”

RIGHT: People dancing in central Birmingham. Albert Selby also danced on VE Day although he jokes that he had “two left feet”