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This story has been added by Paula Thompson a CSV volunteer for ��ѿ��ý Southern Counties radio on behalf of Dorothy Parker and has been added to the site with her permission. Dorothy fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

We knew the War was nearly over, we were so excited then…’The Germans are going to sign…it might be on the 6th…any time now…if they sign on the 6th, the 7th will be VE Day but we have to have some notice to announce a Bank Holiday; if they sign late, VE Day will be officially on the 8th.’

They had not signed by midnight so we went to work as usual on the 7th. Most people had stayed at home but the Bank had to be ready for customers. One came in so we had to open up the books, but there was practically nothing to do. The manager suggested that we should have our sandwiches together and pass the time telling stories of our best war time memories. He started: his favourite was when the Bank windows were smashed by a nearby bomb and he appointed himself to climb the ladder with a hammer and remove the remaining glass — smash — “Clydesdale Bank Limited” — gone! He enjoyed that! Then a messenger who lived above the Bank told of the same occasion when the blast had filled his flat with dust — and worst of all — ‘sob, sob a b-b-basin of d-d (sob) dripping was covered in soot and they couldn’t eat it! He was really crying and we were too with laughter.

Then at 3.30p.m we went by underground to Trafalgar Square, walked with thousands of others towards the Palace where we cheered Churchill and the Royal Family, millions of us laughing, singing the War songs, crying with joy, hugging and kissing sheer JOY. ‘We want Churchill…We want the King!’ The cheers when they appeared…UNFORGETTABLE.

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