As we remember the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, we should also remember that Totley did not celebrate the end of the Second World War until after VJ Day, 15 September 1945. 

A group of Totley residents joined together in an 'end-of-war' celebration which included the burning of a 'stuffed' Hitler on the actual night. Crowds came from all parts of Totley to join in the celebration and the traffic on Baslow Road was stopped. Mrs Busby, who lived on Greenoak Avenue, was one of the organisers and remembered Totley people happily dancing and singing, in the traffic free road, to the strains of a wind-up gramophone. 

Jennifer Wester sent us this photograph she had found in an old family album of a street party for the children of Aldam Road to celebrate the end of World War II. Jennifer's brother, John Crookes, and uncle, Peter Reeves, are amongst those pictured. The girl at the front may be Eileen Windle. Jennifer's grandparents lived on the odd numbered side of Aldam Road and her family lived next door to the Windle family on the even numbered side of the street.

Bob Carr wrote "The end of the war was celebrated with street parties and the one held on Totley Rise I remember well. Everyone seemed to be there and a good time was had by all. The war had brought folks together: Air Raid Alerts, Fire Watch, Dig for Victory - on the allotments, Civil Defence, Home Guard etc. all helped people through those times and although we had months of austerity and rationing still to go, things gradually got back to normal." 

Totley School End of War Party, 1945

Fiona from Australia has recently sent us a scan of this lovely photograph, on the back of which is written "Totley School, end of War party on Totley Sports Ground".

Fiona recognises four of the faces in the picture: her husband's grandfather Percy Smith (No. 14), the father of June (28) and Janet (43). Anne Biggin is towards the left of the picture (26). The numbers refer to the annotated version of the photo below.

A cropped version of this photograph first appeared in Totley Independent issue 383 in December 2016 under the title of "Totley Labour Sports Day, 1945". It was also reproduced in the following issue with a list of names that had been sent in by a correspondent. 

Those names were: Bob Rose, Carol Rose, Maxine Rothwell, Betty Hoyland, Anne Biggin, June Smith, Janet Smith, John Biggin, Pat Shaw, Mary Hoole, Marjorie Andrews, Pat Hoyland, Anne Sherry, Josie Eastwood, John Perkinton, John Woofinden, David Holding, Mrs Ward, Mr Smith, Mrs Weston, Dilys Pearson, Mr Woffinden, Mrs Eastwood, Brian Higgott and June Mather.

Unfortunately the Independent did not match names to faces and we have been unable to find any reference to a Labour Sports Day. 

Now with the aid of a clearer photograph and the benefit of these names, we are hoping that one of our readers might be able to put more names to faces. A larger version of the annotated photograph can be downloaded from the link below.

October 2020