Made by an amateur in Bradford, this film captures some of the V.E. Day celebrations in the centre of Bradford on 8th May, 1945. The film includes footage of people in the streets of Bradford, near the town hall, dancing in celebration to mark the end of the Second World War. The film opens with a still from a newspaper headline reading 'Germany Surrenders - All Troops Ordered To Lay Down Arms.' The film then shows crowds of people in the centre of Bradford huddled under umbrellas,...

Made by an amateur in Bradford, this film captures some of the V.E. Day celebrations in the centre of Bradford on 8th May, 1945. The film includes footage of people in the streets of Bradford, near the town hall, dancing in celebration to mark the end of the Second World War. The film opens with a still from a newspaper headline reading 'Germany Surrenders - All Troops Ordered To Lay Down Arms.' The film then shows crowds of people in the centre of Bradford huddled under umbrellas, watching a band play. The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Mr Cecil Barnett, and other dignitaries gather on the steps of the Bradford Town Hall. They give speeches to the large crowd of people, who wave Union Jack flags in celebration of the Proclamation of Peace. Title-V.E. Day Celebrations. The next shot is taken from above looking down at a huge crowd that has gathered in the Town Square to welcome home the soldiers. A woman in the front of the crowd grabs every couple of soldiers and gives them a big kiss on the mouth. She turns to her friend to try to get her to do the same thing and then she grabs another couple of men. The next scene is taken from road level and two women in WRENS uniforms waltz together in a clearing in front of the crowd. Up on a stage a band play, an old woman stands behind the band and dances while laughing to herself. Then the shot cuts to lots of women dancing around in the road and doing the Hokey Cokey. Some of them wear fairly plain clothes while one of the women is wearing a fur shawl. The next shot shows a military procession making their way through the huge crowd gathered outside the Town Hall. The band conductor stands on a stage in the middle of the street and conducts. Three little girls walk along the path with their arms around each other and this cuts to four soldiers in uniform with their arms around each other talking to a policeman. A crowd have gathered to look at them and then the men walk off. Another shot is taken from above looking down onto the crowd; women dance around in a clearing and an old woman does a bit of a dance with a cigarette in her hand. Groups of men and women link arms in a circle and dance in and out of it. Soldiers march past the crowds that have gathered outside Town Hall; they have to pass through a narrow path which has been made in the middle of the crowds. There is another shot of the old woman dancing up on the stage near the band. She dances around encouraging people to join; some young boys and girls are watching her and laugh. There are more women dancing and a shot of two little girls walking along the road with their arms around each other. The film ends showing the dignitaries addressing a large crowd from the balcony of the Town Hall, where they are joined by a group of actors performing a comic sketch sending up the Nazis.