It is proposed that the following be inserted into the top section of the ODHS Home Page on, say, Friday 1st (or Monday 4th May). It is also proposed to upload a post and link on the ‘Olney in the past’ FB group early next week.
A COMMENDATION OF THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF VE DAY ON FRIDAY 8TH MAY 2020
To commemorate the event we have selected the video clip from Brian (Charlie) Mynard’s personal account of his activities in Olney on VE Day. We have also provided a glimpse of what Olney was like immediately after the war.
1 The Video Clip
Brian (Charlie) Mynard
Brian was born in 1930 and on VE Day was 15 years old. Interviewed on 3rd December 2003.
Brian recounting his involvement in the impromptu VE Day bonfire party on the Knoll, Olney in front of the former Castle Inn (now the Maya restaurant).
The (inset) transcript below will only appear on the ODHS Home Page over the weekend 8 -10 May
The Transcript
At the end of the War in Europe on VE Day we needed to find a way of celebrating the occasion, along with the rest of the country. It was local knowledge among us lads (I was a 15 year old at the time), that there was an ammunition dump containing thunder-flashes near the Alcove at Weston Underwood. Thunder-flashes were used for army training purposes and were about the size of a half-litre beer can. We used to ignite them on a Swan Vestas match box. They had a barrel and a fuse about four inches long so they couldn’t be held too long before they exploded. All the lads, I think there would have been about 50 of us, fetched the thunder-flashes from Weston and before long half the town had them. Somebody came up to me and said, “I want some thunder-flashes”, and I said “I’ll sell you some for a tanner”. More of this later.
Later on, we lit a huge bonfire, where the Knoll now is, and of course we set off the thunder-flashes. The local people knew what was going on and we really did have one hell of an evening. It was a big celebration. Outside the pubs, the local publicans filled galvanised baths with beer. These were same ones used for bathing and by the women for the washing. Everyone just went along and, provided you didn’t lose your pot, you could drink as much as you liked. It was a wonderful, wonderful evening, particularly because we’d never been allowed to have a bonfire at night during the war.
The local police soon found out that thunder-flashes had disappeared from the ammunition dump and started their enquiries around the town. They questioned the lad who said that he had bought some from me, so of course I didn’t have a leg to stand on when the police came around to my house. Later we all, at least a dozen of us, had to appear at the Magistrates Court at Newport Pagnell. Stan Goss and Stanley Lord were on the Bench at the time. I was fined five shillings and had a verbal slap on the wrist and told not to be a naughty boy. I was put on probation and bound over for twelve months. I had to pay the fine myself, as my father wouldn’t pay it. For a Court Appearance, every child had to have a parent with them, so there were quite a lot of people queuing outside the Court on that day!
Why not checkout the complete article. It is certainly amusing and is a wonderful light hearted description of ‘how thing were’ as a youngster during and towards the end of WW?
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2 What was Olney like immediately after the war?
We have added a couple of links to what Olney residents were confronting at that time and some their associated leisure activities.
Click the link to a brand new developing feature on Olney’s local history between 1945 and 1960.
And another link on a brand new complementary feature covering Olney’s Leisure pursuits and pastimes over that time period.
Why not check out the developing set of Olney Social History Post WW2 pages published to date.
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Please ignore the remainder which is parked (backed up) as a temporary measure.
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Olney History – The Society was founded in 1997 by a group of like-minded people determined to keep Olney history alive for all generations of people in the town and those who have since moved away from Olney.
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The first version of a brand new feature to this site (April 2020):
OLNEY’S SOCIAL HISTORY POST WW2 PART 1: 1945 – 60
The plan is to present the Post WW2 element of Olney’s social history in four time periods: 1: 1945 – 1960, 2: 1961 – 1980, 3: 1981 – 2000 and 4: 2001 – 2020. The later time periods have yet to be compiled and published.
Each period comprises four sections: 1 Social History, 2 Leisure Pursuits, 3 Significant National Influences and 4 Personal Recollections. Click the relevant link to see another published section of this time period. Section 4 is currently being compiled.
1945 – 1960 Olney’s recovery during the immediate post WW2 years
Please be aware that the content is an ongoing development, as the author would like to include additional inputs and comments submitted by visitors to the site, and of course to complete the few unfinished headings and to correct any errors found in the current text.
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The first version of a brand new feature to this site (April 2020):
OLNEY’S SOCIAL HISTORY POST WW2 PART 1: 1945 – 60
The Post WW2 element of Olney’s social history is presented in four time periods: 1: 1945 – 1960, 2: 1961 – 1980, 3: 1981 – 2000 and 4: 2001 – 2020. The later time periods have yet to be compiled and published.
Each period comprises four sections: 1 Social History, 2 Leisure Pursuits, 3 Significant National Influences and 4 Personal Recollections. Click the links to see the published sections of this time period. Section 4 is currently being compiled.
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Floss video
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