'A Liberal Display of Flags and Bunting' - Ince's Victory Celebrations
Posted on 24th Apr 2025 by AWL Team
On 24th April 1945, The Ince Urban District Council Peace Sub Committee met to make ‘arrangements for celebrating locally the cessation of hostilities in the European Theatre of War’.
‘In accordance with the wishes of His Majesty the King’, it was decided that a thanks giving service would be held at Christ Church, Ince; a holiday would be granted to employees of the Council; a sum of money would be given to all aged persons; and an official function for dignitaries would be held, along with a dance for the public.
All of their plans came to fruition. A bulging file in our Ince UDC collection labelled ‘Victory Celebrations’ is testament to the huge amount of preparation that went into making them happen.
A procession through Ince was organised for Sunday 13th May. Participants included the police, local clergy, Lower Ince Temperance Band, and ‘residents and war workers of all categories’. The procession went via Manley Street, Warrington Road and Ince Green Lane to the Parish Church for a special service.
War time shortages, at times, frustrated the Council’s plans. J Booth and Son Caterers gave two menu options for the Victory dinner to the Clerk of the Council – ‘ham/tongue’ or ‘chicken’ – ‘but we cannot definitely promise chicken as we are not sure that we shall be able to procure them – but we will do our utmost if you preferred chicken’.
Ham was served.
What Ince lacked in fine food, it made up for in pomp. Two opera singers, Miss Lilian Ovington and George Skilling, sang for the dignitaries at the formal dinner. Six toasts were made, to the king, the military, the civil defence services, war time voluntary organisations, the township and industry of Ince, and the Council.
Later the same day, the perhaps more enjoyable ‘Victory Ball’ was held for the community. Foxtrots, waltzes, quick steps and tangos were danced from 7.30pm to 1am, to the music of ‘T Mullen and his Ridgmount Dance Band.’ At five shillings a ticket, though, it would be interesting to know how many people actually shelled out for the privilege of attending.
Intriguingly, the file also reveals that companies were touting for ‘victory celebrations’ business some nine months before peace was declared. On 9th August, 1944, George Lewis Publicity wrote to the council: ‘We are all, at this present moment, looking forward to the end of the war… publicity officers of many towns are already making plans for Victory Day celebrations by the purchase of streamers etc…’
Eighty years later, we’ll be marking the occasion with our own pop-up exhibitions of this, and other, war time material from the Archives.
See dates below for details.
By Helen Raymond