Bolsover town centre was alive with 1940’s memorabilia, with music and danicing to set the atmosphere alight on Saturday 15th October 2022, when the Bolsover Rotary held its first 4o’s Fest to launch the Royal British Legion Poppy appeal.
The town was full, with displays of miltary vehicles, re-enactors dressed in uniform, veterans of the armed forces and enthusiastic people of all ages dressed in 1940’s clothes enjoying a large dose of nostalgia and fun
The Old Town Hall became the centre piece of the festival when it was draped with poppies, all created by members of the local community, coordinated by the Rotary Club.
Stalls and displays by the Bolsover Cadet Force, the Royal, British Legion and Paratroop Regiment veterans from Barnsley were around the poppy display. Bolsover WI ran a raffle during the day.
Displays of military vehicles were in the Middle Street car park and in the Market Place.
In Old Bolsover Yard there were WW1 re-enactors displaying equipment and talking to interested visitors about life and fighting in the First World War.
The area around the Cenotaph was bathed in silence at 11am when an Act of Remembrance was held. The trumpeter played the last post, and after a two-minute silence, Rotary President Graham Weighill, who is also a member of the Royal British Legion, recited the “Kohima Epitaph”;
When you go home, tell them of us and say, ‘For your tomorrows these gave their today. ‘
Those attending the event were entertained during the remainder of the day by “The Ladedahs”, a vintage vocal harmony trio with a passion for the music of the past, performing songs mainly from the 30s, 40s and 50s -from the Andrews Sisters to Glenn Miller, Doris Day and Vera Lynn.
The poppy appeal and Remembrance Day has always been well supported in Bolsover, and in thanking the people of Bolsover, and everyone involved in making the day such a success, Rotary President Graham Weighill believes that the event did justice to that commitment.
He said “Rotary has received many positive comments during the day, from traders who have enjoyed seeing the town busy , from locals who have enjoyed the atmosphere and the entertainment, and from the participants. Many were local, but some of them came from far away, and we appreciate the hard work that everyone has put in.”