Next week Bolton Library and Museum Services are asking people to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day with them online and Stay Safe at Home.
Next week, Bolton Library and Museum Services is asking people to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day with them online and Stay Safe at Home.
After five years of war, on the 8 May 1945, Britain and the allied forces accepted Germany’s surrender. The Victory in Europe Day effectively heralded the end of World War II and sparked a mass celebration across nations with huge crowds of people taking to the streets cheering.
The Library and Museum Service is helping people, explore what it was like for people during World War II and how they celebrated VE Day. Now 75 years on and we are in lockdown in a war against Covid-19 but we have celebration tips suitable for people of all ages to mark VE Day.
You’ll be able to discover more about World War II art in the museum’s collection, look at the fashions of the time, get interesting recipes and add details of your Bolton military ancestors to the virtual memorial ‘Bolton Remembers’.
Everyone is invited to become part of Bolton’s evolving history by joining in the Covid-19 Documentary project, where people, especially children, can send in their journal/ diary entries or pictures of their lockdown experience so that in years to come future generations can see what our lives were like. If you take part in the documentary project look out for a special event in future.
This project is inspired by the Mass Observation Archive of 1937 and 1940, which saw a team of observers, led by an anthropologist called Tom Harrisson, study all aspects of life in Bolton from shopping at the open market to spectators at a Bolton Wanderers match so as to discover what children’s views were about their hobbies, games, how they saw each other and the adults around them.
Talent shines in times of adversity so someone in your family may be the next Anne Frank or Samuel Pepys! So Bolton is asking everyone to capture what happens in their house on Friday 8 May. Details are to be posted on the Bolton Libraries and Museums’ social media channels about what’s happening during the rest of the week!
Deputy Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Martyn Cox said: “It may be tempting to celebrate VE Day as they did after the war and party in the streets, but our war against Covid-19 continues and we must celebrate safely and maintain social distancing. Bolton Libraries and Museums have put together a wide range of online resources to help celebrate the day so tune in on their social media channels and find out some great ways to enjoy it.”
Remember, public buildings may be closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak but you can still access free eBooks, eAudio books and eMagazines with the At Home with Bolton Library and Museum Services. If you’re not a member you can also join online at www.boltonlams.co.uk/
Bolton Library and Museum Services provides themed online activities with art, health and reading and there’s images, videos, quizzes and interactive posts and resources to help with home-schooling, learning new skills and expanding your knowledge or just finding out the latest research and information.
Library and Museum Services online VE Day celebration week programme Monday 4 May to Sunday 10 May
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Morning |
Afternoon |
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Monday 4 May |
Information @ home Be a part of Bolton’s History! Using the Mass Observation Archive as inspiration, we’d like you to send us your journal/diary entries or pictures, photos of your lockdown experience.
You might be the next Anne Frank or Samuel Pepys! This week we’d like you to capture what happens in your house on Friday 8 May.
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Mass Observation photographer Humphrey Spender took a fascinating series of photographs of children’s street games in Bolton.
What are the differences between the type of games children play in 2020 including during lockdown and those captured by Spender in the late 1930s? We’d love to hear your views. |
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Tuesday 5 May
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Museum @ home Did you or your family celebrate VE Day in 1945? Tell us how by writing a short account of your memories which will be kept in the Archives. |
Has the lockdown changed what clothes you wear?
We look at a curious outfit from the Second World War – a siren suit, as popularised by Winston Churchill.
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Wednesday 6 May |
Community spirit To mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day on 8 May, we look at the community spirit shown by the people of Bolton during the Second World War through archival images.
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Community spirit Volunteering for action a look at Bolton Civil defence in the war years. Think about how this links to current volunteering efforts.
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Thursday 7 May
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Remembering your military ancestors from Bolton. An opportunity to have their names added to our virtual memorial. |
How to host your own VE Day party!
VE Day is usually a day for street parties and celebrations. Whilst street parties are not a possible right now we will be sharing ideas and tips for food, decorations and music to help you throw your own VE Day celebration party at home or in your garden.
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Friday 8 May |
11am Stories @ home The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
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Our archivist Caroline will share a blog on the celebrations that happened in Bolton in 1945
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Saturday 9 May |
To mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, we look at Second World War art in the museum collection. |
Object Story: Super Nintendo Entertainment system. 30 years since it was first released. |
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Sunday 10 May |
11.30am Reading @ home Join Emma live and ask her questions about children’s reading recommendations. This week we will be talking about books with a theme of Siblings – sisters and brothers will be spending a lot more time together than usual at the moment! |
Meet Constance Howarth a fashion designer from Bolton.
Bolton Museum holds a large collection of her fabric designs, photographs and clothing from the 1950s onwards.
Have a go at designing your own fabric patterns and share them with us. |
Stay in touch
‘Like’ our Facebook pages to get the latest alerts: www.facebook.com/boltonlibraryandmuseumservices, www.facebook.com/smithillshall
Follow us on Twitter to stay in the know: @boltonlms @askboltonlibs
Follow us on Instagram:@bolton_library_museum
Visit: www.boltonlams.co.uk