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Extract from letter written by Mary Carlton (my mother) to her parents on May 9th 1945 written from “The Convent” Fitzjohns Av. Hampstead.

VE+1 Day

Now for yesterday — what a day, I shall never forget it as long as I live… Well now I’ll try and do things in order. Betty, Barbara and I went out about 11.0. We took sandwiches and things, with us, including an orange each as we thought we would be thirsty, and a packet of sweets each which Mrs S., Matron and Cook had made for everyone. We took a bus to Oxford Street and then walked to St. Martin’s where we went to service at 12.0. There were thousands of people in Trafalgar Square and we had to queue to get into St. Martin’s. It was only a short service but very nice… After service we walked down Whitehall but there was nothing to see except crowds, and then had our lunch on the Embankment. Then we walked back down Whitehall to Parliament Square and took up a position opposite St. Margaret’s and the Houses of Parliament. This was about 1.45 when we got there. We stayed there and heard Winnie’s speech and were then hoping to see him, but he drove from No 10 to the H of P and we couldn’t get anywhere near the car. Tam and I then went back along the road to the other door of the H of P and waited until he came out of there to go to the Abbey. We were very lucky here and got somehow or other right to the front and I at any rate saw him beautifully, preceded by the Speaker and the Mace. After him came the whole War Cabinet and the Houses of Lords and Commons. We had a nice policeman in front of us who pointed out a lot of them but really I’ve forgotten who we did see. Bevan was there and A. P. Herbert, Lady Astor (a lot of students on a van were very rude when she appeared and shouted out things like — “A glass of beer for Lady Astor”, “A toast for Lady Astor” etc etc). Lots more of them I know by sight a bit but I really can’t remember who was there and who wasn’t. Sir Ian was there I know. After they had all gone into the Abbey we waited to see them come out again after the service, but were unlucky this time and they didn’t go anywhere near us… The police on horses were simply marvellous and so were the horses. Tam and I decided we would try and get back to her place for tea — however we got stuck outside the Ministry of Health, in the crowds, as Winnie was expected to appear on the balcony there about 5.0. So we waited, we really couldn’t do much else! We stayed until 5.30 and then gave it up as a bad job, and managed to get back to Tam’s flat…. I must tell you while we were waiting in Whitehall planes came over and dropped paper and leaflets and flares. Jolly good bombing too, one landed right on the War Ministry and was so pretty — Red, green, yellow and mauve smoke in turn. Planes kept coming over all the evening dropping flares and things, I must say though that all the leaders of everything were students. Bands, processions and “shouts”, I don’t know what London would have done without the students, but really the crowds were very very orderly and were not a bit offensive or rowdy, just deliriously happy. Well to continue. After that we walked along to Buckingham Palace and waited there singing songs, clapping and cheering until the King’s Speech at 9.0, and what a fine speech it was too. After he had finished there was no holding anyone. “We want the King” and “We want George” were the chief cries — especially led by a group of I. C. (Imperial College) students who came marching along — flag, rattles and band. At 9.30 the doors on the balcony opened and I’ve never heard such a cheer, it was tremendous. The King, Queen in white, Princess Elizabeth in Uniform and Margaret in blue, all came out onto the balcony for 5-10 mins. They looked lovely. Everyone cheered, sang the National Anthem and goodness knows what else. When they had gone in we managed to make our way back along the Mall to Admiralty Arch which was all floodlit — the Palace wasn’t lit up until after we had gone — and then out into Trafalgar Square. It was really a picture. Green floodlighting on Nelson, Mauve on the lions, Green and White on Admiralty Arch, White on the Art Gallery and St. Martin’s and there was a large globe of changing lights on top of the Coliseum. It was wonderful. We then made our way down Whitehall again to see the floodlighting. As we passed the Min. of Health it was all lit up with floodlights and looked lovely. Just as we got round the corner we heard such a shout go up so we rushed back and there was Winnie on the balcony making the “V” sign. The band of the Grenadier Guards was playing “Land of Hope and Glory”, everyone was singing, including Winnie, and Winnie was up there conducting with his hands. He lit his cigar up and blew a cloud of smoke from it just to show you he did really smoke it. Then he spoke — I expect you saw the speech in the paper, beginning “My dear friends, this is your Victory (cheers) not a victory of Party or Politics" (more cheers) and so he went on. For once really blowing England’s trumpet for her. He’s wonderful and I wouldn’t have missed seeing him for worlds. When he finished we all sang, “For he’s a jolly Good Fellow” and then he went back inside. By this time all the floodlighting was on. The Horse Guards, Big Ben, House of P. and Westminster Hall was all red. We went on to Westminster Bridge and saw the H. of P. from the river, and across the river the L. C. C. building and Shell Mex. The L. C. C. place looked lovely. Green floodlights either side and White in the centre. It was a grand sight. We next managed to get back along to Trafalgar where we succeeded in sitting on the edge of a fountain for a little rest. People were dancing all over the place now. But we didn’t join in. We then walked along to Piccadilly and Leicester Square to see all the buildings and Cinemas lit up. We then wended our way back here, arriving back about 1.30 a. m. as we had to walk after missing the last tube — we were some of the first back. It really was a wonderful night, never to be forgotten. People were letting off fireworks everywhere and lighting bonfires. Rockets were going up, planes were dropping flares, guns were going off and there must have been hundreds of searchlights up… It was so hot yesterday but thank goodness it didn’t rain.

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