Bedford Radio will be marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a special programme exploring VE Day in Bedford, and the wartime years that it brought to an end.
The show will be focused on first-hand testimony from people who experienced the war in the town.
The programme will feature original recordings from the project where they are available, and also specially recorded readings by volunteers from The Place Theatre and Bedford Radio.
Listeners will hear about people’s day-to-day experiences of the war in Bedford, including rationing, air raids, and military activity including from the numerous busy airfields around the town.
Much of this is drawn from the World War Two People’s War project of 2004-2006, and material from it, which has been kindly provided by the Higgins Bedford, who gathered recollections in a project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The focus then moves to VE Day itself, starting with the sequence of events that led to it over 6-8 May 1945, then showcasing multiple eyewitness accounts of the celebrations in Bedford and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Also explored is Bedford’s role as a broadcasting hub for religious thanksgiving services on the day.
One of them was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury from St Paul’s Church, with another broadcast from RAF Cardington immediately after Churchill’s momentous broadcast to declare victory.
The show also features music from the period, with all tracks being pieces that listeners tuned to their radio on VE Day would have heard.
The programme’s producer John Kell said: “Bedford had a distinctive role in the war, with the BBC’s broadcasts from the town and the major contributions to the war effort of WH Allen and the large munitions factory at Elstow, among others.
“It’s a privilege to be able to bring this to life using the first-hand testimony of those who were there.
“VE Day itself was clearly a memorable day – and night – of celebration, the likes of which Bedford hasn’t seen since, as our multiple eyewitnesses attested.
“We’re very grateful to everyone who has contributed to this programme, and we hope it’s a fitting tribute to everyone in Bedford who made sacrifices to secure victory in Europe.”
Historic Bedford: VE Day will be broadcast on Monday 5 May from 7-8pm and repeated on Thursday 8 May from 6pm.
It will also be available after its first transmission on the Bedford Radio website at www.bedford.radio/listenagain.
