The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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V.J. Day Celebrations
Soon after the VE Day celebrations, there is a second chance to let the hair down, and these dancers make the most of it with much humour, besides the pomp of the official ceremonies.
From the collection of:
Overview
A rare chance to see scenes from the lesser filmed VJ Day, especially outside of London. In the wake of the recent VE Day celebrations, and with more time for it all to sink in, the long suffering people of Bradford are again out on the streets. Along with the obvious joy of the dancers, there is also some humour in the different styles of marching on display from all the service personnel.
This is one of over 30 local films made over several decades by Bradford textile retailer Robert Sharp. He also filmed the VE celebrations in May. Although the war in Europe was over, the final end to the war wasn’t until Japan surrendered on 14 August, six days after the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. There remained British troops stationed in the Far East, as well as the prisoners of war of the Japanese. So there was still much to celebrate – though perhaps somewhat muted by the horror of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The film also shows Bradford before its post war deconstruction – much criticised, not least because Bradford only suffered one bombing raid, in August 1940.
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