Victory at Hughenden - 1940s weekend
65th anniversary of VE Day, 1945
Hughenden Manor, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP14 4LA
1.5 miles North of High Wycombe on the A4128
Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 May 2010, 11am to 5pm
All allied and civilian 1940s re-enactors, dancers, vehicle owners and enthusiasts are warmly invited to participate*
A
welcome return to Hughenden following the success of our
2009 1940s event.
Celebrate the anniversary of VE Day with our small but perfectly formed event staged on behalf of the National Trust,
commemorating the role of local people and Hughenden Manor during WWII, with
music and song, entertainments, children's activities, and living history.
The manor, in an extremely
picturesque location, was a top secret RAF intelligence base during the war
where vital map making for crucial raids was carried out including the Dam
Busters' raid, sinking of the Tirpitz and the bombing of Berchtesgaden.
Although very high up the list of Luftwaffe targets, Hughenden was only directly
threatened once, when a V1 blew out a window in the nearby chapel.
Participating groups and performers include Ancient Wisdom (with his interactive Sink the Tirpitz! display and hilarious Mr Punch vs Adolf Hitler); 2nd Tales (British casualty dressing station); Earley Days (Children's activities); Foriegn Field (battle school for children); Hands on History (make do and mend); Hatfield Home Guard (living history); Martha's War (Cooking with wartime rations displays); National Fire Service (firemen and pump) plus 40s music, song and glamour with trios The Andersen Sisters and The Spitfires. Also enjoy tales of growing up in the wartime manor and guided tours of Secret Hughenden.
Plus on Saturday, a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota fly past to commemorate the 65th anniversary of VE Day (subject to weather conditions). Saturday evening dance - there's a VE Day dance at West Wycombe village hall, ticket price discounted for Victory at Hughenden participants and visitors - see below for details.
All Allied and civilian 1940s re-enactors (especially RAF), vehicle owners and enthusiasts are warmly invited*. Visitors are once again invited to join in with the spirit of the event by coming in period dress (completely optional, of course!).
* So long as you agree to abide by our terms and conditions of participation! Classic and military vehicle owners please click here.
Groups or individuals wishing to participate in this event are invited to pre-register with us, so we can forward full details, and to click the link for our terms and conditions of participation (link above). Please note, As Hughenden Manor was a British base, we’d prefer British & civilian rather than American military impressions (although some would be most welcome), and as it is a Home Front event, no axis impressions please.
Timetable of displays and activities
|
Time |
Activity |
Performers |
Location |
|
11.00 |
Living history commences |
All |
All areas |
|
11.30 |
Mr Punch versus Adolf Hitler |
Ancient Wisdom |
South Lawn |
|
|
Guided tour of Secret Hughenden |
The National Trust |
Commences at the Study Base |
|
Noon |
Music and Song |
The Anderson Sisters |
South Lawn |
|
|
Memories of living as young girls within the manor |
Gillian Picken and Evelyn Evens |
Disraeli room within the manor |
|
12.30 |
Firemen and pump in action |
The NFS Display Team |
South Lawn (far end) |
|
|
The Battle of France and Battle of Britain, 1940 |
Ancient Wisdom |
South Lawn |
|
1.00 |
Music and song |
The Spitfires |
South Lawn |
|
|
The British soldier and his weaponry |
Foreign Field |
North Lawn |
|
|
Memories of living as young girls within the manor |
Gillian Picken and Evelyn Evens |
Disraeli room within the manor |
|
1.30 |
Sink the Tirpitz |
Ancient Wisdom |
South Lawn |
|
|
Junior boot camp – children can have a go at training as soldiers! |
Foreign Field |
North Lawn |
|
|
Guided tour of Secret Hughenden |
The National Trust |
Commences at the Study Base |
|
2.00 |
1940s Fashion show |
The Spitfires |
South Lawn |
|
|
Have a go at using a stirrup pump |
The NFS Display Team |
South Lawn (far end) |
|
|
Memories of living as young girls within the manor |
Gillian Picken and Evelyn Evens |
Disraeli room within the manor |
|
2.30 |
Mr Punch versus Adolf Hitler |
Ancient Wisdom |
South Lawn |
|
|
Guided tour of Secret Hughenden |
The National Trust |
Commences at the Study Base |
|
3.00 (Sat) |
VE Day Dakota fly past |
Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight |
South Lawn |
|
3.00 |
Music and song |
The Anderson Sisters |
South Lawn |
|
|
the British soldier and his weaponry |
Royal Warwickshire Regiment WW2 Reenactment Group |
North Lawn |
|
3.30 |
Firemen and pump in action |
The NFS Display Team |
South Lawn (far end) |
|
|
The Battle of France and Battle of Britain, 1940 |
Ancient Wisdom |
South Lawn |
|
4.00 |
Music and song |
The Spitfires |
South Lawn |
|
|
Junior boot camp |
Foreign Field |
North Lawn |
|
|
Guided tour of Secret Hughenden |
The National Trust |
Commences at the Study Base |
|
4.30 |
Living history continues |
All |
All areas |
|
5.00 |
Event closes |
All |
All areas |
|
7.30 (Sat) |
1940s dance (organised by West Wycome Library). Tickets £10 (with National Trust admission receipt or EventPlan Participants’ Info sheet), others £12. |
All performers and visitors invited. |
West Wycombe Village Hall |
Other, ongoing activities:
Ongoing living history including a dressing station by 2nd Tales and Home Guardsmen from the Hatfield Home Guard.
Make a gas mask, dress up in 40s style clothing and have your photo taken, with Earley Days (a small charge applies) in the Orchard
Make do and mend, with Hands on History, in the Orchard
Cooking with wartime rations, with Martha’s War, in the orchard
1940s themed items for sale, also in the orchard
Period vehicles on display
Admission Prices
To be announced, National Trust members free.
Please click for details of trading opportunities here and at other EventPlan shows. Note that access is via a steep roadway and not suitable for caravans or heavily laden vehicles unless 4WD.
Saturday evening dance
There's a VE Day Dance on Saturday evening (organised by the local library) at the Village Hall in West Wycombe, 7.30pm to midnight. The Andersen Sisters will be performing, licensed bar and hot food available. Tickets for Victory at Hughenden participants and visitors with their National Trust admission receipt are £10 (price for others £12). Tickets will be available from the library or via phone 01494 449958, 01494 562052 or 01494 529187.
Don't miss our other 1940s events this season:
Wartime Clumber at Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire, on 5-6 June.
Powys at home and at war, at Powis Castle, Wales, on 12-13 June.
On the Home Front 1930-45 at Rufford Abbey Country Park, Nottinghamshire, on 18-19 September.
Wimpole at War, Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire, on 25-26 September.
The '40s are
also featured within our multi-period time line of displays at
Woburn through
the ages at
Woburn Abbey on 12-13 June,
Salute for Heroes at Glemham Hall,
Suffolk on 24-25 July,
Blasts from the Past at Broadlands, Romsey, Hampshire on 7-8 August, and at the
Sheffield Fayre on 29-30 (bank
holiday) August.
A brief history of re-enactment
Interested in how and why re-enactment has become so popular in recent years? Click on the link to read a history of re-enactment.
Other events 2010
Click here for details of many other historical events organised by EventPlan this year.
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Updated 11 May 2010
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Updated 5 May 2010