Party time! How Sunderland celebrated on VE Day in 1945

Massive crowds which ran into tens of thousands of people poured in to Fawcett Street, hoping to hear the news they had waited years to hear. War was over in Europe.

A fanfare of trumpets signalled the historic announcement

They stood for hours. First, there was the broadcast to the nation from Winston Churchill to share the news nationally - and then the Sunderland crowds stood some more.

They listened to the sounds of the Police Band which played throughout that rainy evening. A few of the spectators had brollies, the rest got soaking wet and they didn’t care.

Many of them had come out of their homes at a moment’s notice. Some threw overcoats over their nightwear as they joined the enormous crowds.

‘The Nazi monster has been defeated and overthrown’

They had come through years of air raids, shelters, wreckage, rationing, homelessness and evacuations.

Eventually, there was a fanfare of trumpets. It was followed by the Mayor (Cllr John Young) who addressed the people of Sunderland from the balcony of the Town Hall.

Thousands listened to the announcement as it blasted out over the loudspeakers. He told them: ‘The Nazi monster has been defeated and overthrown’.

The cheers were thunderous and it did not end there.

The celebrations were still going on at 1am the next morning when cheering Wearsiders were still in the same spot, giving the V for victory sign.

Every vantage point was grabbed

They climbed lampposts, held street parties, games, chatted.

People danced in Mowbray Park to the sounds of a piano which one family had dragged all the way from their home.

There was a huge party at Sunderland Stadium where Pat Lyn and his orchestra performed from 7.30pm onwards.

The New Rink held a special VE Day Dance with admission at 5/- and the money raised going towards a Welcome Home Fund.

Jack Usher’s Swing Band were the star attraction at the Grange Hotel Victory Dance (admission 3/-) but the event came with strict instructions to ‘be on time’.

It was all still a mood of celebration the next day.

Jimmy Allen and His Syncopators were the band leading the entertainment at the Grand Victory Dance in the Green Street Co-operative Hall on May 9.

And the Barnes Hotel was holding its own Victory Dance on May 9 with guests told to wear evening dress for a 10/- night of entertainment with food included.