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This film is part of Free

VE Day at Manston Grove and potato planting

There's Victory jollity aplenty and a sumptuous banquet, despite rationing, for the children of Manston, Kent. We also see potato-girls in action and a mini-baby boom.

Amateur film 1945 16 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for Screen Archive South East

Overview

This touching film shows Manston Grove celebrating VE Day, starting with a bizarre cross-dressing race and a marquee full of food being readied for a children's party, despite rationing. Watch for the string of doughnuts suspended under the tent. Then we see a tractor pull a potato planter while five women sit and work precariously onboard. Scenes follow showing a large well-to-do family posing for photos in 1946, while a mini baby-boom seems to have occurred.