5 Ways to Spend VE Day in Lockdown
8th May 2020 marks 75 years since millions of people took to the streets to celebrate the end of World War II in Europe. Although campsites remain closed for the Bank Holiday this year, there are plenty of ways to make this a memorable VE weekend.
Here are five ideas to summon up the spirit of the 1940s at home in your garden, or on the driveway in your caravan or motorhome.
1. Swing and Jive like it's 1945
Turn up the tunes for some nostalgia, or discover a song you've never head before. Get started with this Youtube playlist of Top 40 Hits from the '40s.
2. Have a tea party with a 1940s spread
Sandwiches were the order of the day at VE celebrations - rationing meant dripping was a popular filling! For a healthier vintage dish, try this simple but tasty recipe from ‘Potato Pete's' wartime recipe cookbook:
Potato Piglets
Ingredients
Medium well-scrubbed potatoes
Cooked cabbage - lightly chopped
Skinned sausages
Method
Remove a centre core, using an apple corer, from the length of each potato, and stuff the cavity with sausage meat. Bake in the usual way and arrange the piglets on a bed of cooked cabbage.
3. Get crafty with caravan crochet bunting
Crochet was an extremely popular past-time during and after the war. If you don’t fancy darning socks, try this easy crochet pattern for caravan bunting. For something even more practical, have a go at crocheting a caravan keyring.
4. Make the most of your garden
The ‘Growers Guide’ was produced by the Ministry of Food to help Britons ‘dig for victory’ and much of the information is still relevant today. Why not find some inspiration for your own garden with the Growers Guide for May 1945.
5. Become a gadget geek
With a bit more time on our hands, now is a great time to learn more about how your vehicle works and how you can get the most from it. We have written some handy guides explaining some of our most popular caravan gadgets:
- Control your heating and hot water remotely with Truma iNet
- Simplify your sockets with Whale Easi-Slide
- A Guide to Gas Struts
Caravanning after WW2
With a new sense of optimism at the end of the war, Britons began their love affair with caravanning in earnest. It was the start of our journey, too. In 1947, a sheet metal worker at Bristol Aeroplane Company during the war named Martin Bailey made his first caravan in the heavily bombed city of Bristol, beginning 70 years of innovative British building. You can read more about Bailey's fascinating history on the Bailey website.
