may06 WWII Home Guard & 1940s Fete

The Home Guard will demonstrate their proficiency (or not) at drill and PT and may be on exercises or manouevres which may include a Battle School, which is near as most Home Guard ever came to fighting.

The Fete and Fundraising
More perhaps for morale than for effective raising of money fundraising was encouraged throughout the War to finance Spitfires (the Spitfire fund) or Warships (War Weapons Week) or the Army (Salute the Soldier) or similar.

Military Matters
When the Military are in control, the Hall is taken over by them as a Garrison to run the camp. Military Business with defaulters' parades, exercises and the like take centre stage.

The Garrison
The Transit Camp was managed by a small permanent Garrison of about 8 or 9 under a Colonel. They took over the main rooms as offices and some had bedrooms in the Hall. The Hall also acted as the Officers' Mess for Officers stationed on the Park.

Others
There should be plenty of civilians, perhaps some evacuees from the bombing, Landgirls working on the Farm with the tractors, WVS, the Auxiliary Fire Service with their fire engines on practice and likewise ARP wardens insisting on regular drills.

Adult, £9.75, Child, £7.25, Pensioner £8.75

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