Ilfracombe’s VE Day 80 remembered: street parties, pony rides and a town united in celebration

On VE Day in 1945, Ilfracombe embraced the occasion with a heartwarming series of celebrations that brought the town together after years of hardship. 

Jane Monger, Archivist at the Ilfracombe Museum, shared with the Gazette a glimpse into the joyous community spirit that defined the day.

From processions and dances to street parties and events for children, the celebrations offered something for everyone. 

Delicious treats were shared, along with pony rides, cinema trips, and char-à-banc car outings. It wasn’t just the adults who joined in; the fun was enjoyed by people of all ages, ranging from a six-week-old baby to a 90-year-old. 

Ms Monger reflects: “It must have been a joyous time after the long years of fear and worry.”

One key figure in making these celebrations a success was Mrs Farndell, who coordinated many of the town’s parties. 

Mrs Farndell, who had also played a vital role as the organiser for the evacuees that came to Ilfracombe during the war, ensured that the town’s spirit remained strong and united. 

Her grandson, Kelvin Farndell is a trustee at the Ilfracombe Museum.

Mr. Carruthers-Bell was another individual pivotal to the celebrations. 

He, along with others, helped ensure the events were memorable for all involved. 

The children’s parties were a particular highlight, with Mr James Dendle arranging pony rides for the young ones. 

Photos of Mr Dendle and his ponies, including the white pony named Stardust, are part of the museum’s collection. 

Stardust was so popular that Mr Dendle would go on to lead the Ilfracombe carnival in subsequent years on the horse.

From the newspaper archives provided by the Ilfracombe Museum, the Gazette discovered that an article published on Friday, May 11, 1945, under the headline “In this Hour of Victory,” captured the euphoria that swept through the town. 

The article began with these stirring words: “VICTORY. Shout it from the house tops and across the fields and over the seas. Let it resound from end to end of the earth. Let it echo down the arches of the years. Cry it jubilantly in your hearts and whisper it humbly in your prayers. This is a victory greater than all the victories of history. No battle honours inscribed on our centuries-old colours can compare with this.”

The opening sentence of the article, published in the Ilfracombe Chronicle, encapsulated the overwhelming sense of triumph and relief that Ilfracombe, and indeed the entire nation, felt as the war came to an end. 

Another newspaper headline simply read “CEASE FIRE” in bold capitals.

The piece announced that two days of public holiday would follow and began:

“Although all the world already knew the great news of the unconditional surrender of Germany after her complete and crushing defeat by the overwhelming might of the Allies, 3 o'clock in the afternoon of VE-Day struck as the most momentous hour in the history of the people of this island who went out from their fortress, hurriedly built in 1940 and 1941... It was at this hour that Ilfracombe people waiting in their homes for the chimes of Big Ben—keeping watch over the birthplace of the Mother of Parliaments, war-scarred but still a great symbol of freedom—and for the voice of the man who inspired the nation to great deeds in its darkest hour, Mr Winston Churchill, who broadcast the news that the war in Europe is officially at an end.”

The article went on to speak of the mixed emotions felt across the town; relief and gratitude, but also sorrow. 

In many homes, celebration was tempered by reflection, as people prayed for loved ones lost and quietly gave thanks for peace.

The latest edition of the North Devon Gazette features more in depth stories and pictures - on sale now.