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There can鈥檛 be too many people who marked VE Day by sitting on a tree stump and watching a rodeo. But that鈥檚 how Catherine Lilley (nee Docherty) from Coventry marked the end of the Second World War in Europe.

She grew up in the city and on the day war broke out, she sat outside her parents鈥� ice cream parlour in Clay Lane, to see if war had made a difference to the city.

鈥淎 group of young men I knew walked past me; they鈥檇 just bought trilby hats and were shouting the catchphrases they鈥檇 picked up at the theatre the night before.

鈥淏y the end of the war, one is buried in Egypt, Bill Weston, whose sisters still go to see his grave in Italy, he was in a tank in Italy; Stan Neal is buried in Normandy, he was in the Normandy landings and 3 boys and one girl that were in what was the Working Men鈥檚 club on the corner of Coventry Street, they were all in the cellar when the blast killed them all (Coventry Blitz 1940); and they鈥檙e all buried in a communal grave.鈥�

Winston Churchill鈥檚 announcement that the war had ended and that 8 May 1945 would be a 鈥榖rief period of rejoicing鈥� is remembered by Catherine as she and her friends cycled through the countryside, shouting at people that they could remove their wartime blackout and the bombers wouldn鈥檛 be returning .

And then to the celebrations themselves.

鈥淐ome May 8th, we were no longer saving any (food) for Christmas; we were going to eat the lot now. And the tables came out and the streets were full of tables and tablecloths and chairs and mothers in their aprons dolling out, I don鈥檛 know what was in the sausage rolls, but sandwiches, jellies, flags and bunting everywhere. The world was full of bunting.鈥�

Stareton, just outside Coventry, was the site of the US Army鈥檚 Rehabilitation Site No1, set up in 1943 to cope with injured American servicemen. Part of the site is now occupied by Stoneleigh Golf Club.
And it was there in May 1945, that Catherine went to celebrate the end of the war.

鈥淥ur lives depended on the Midland Daily Telegraph (now the Coventry Telegraph) and we were told that the Americans would be having a party at Stoneleigh at their Hospital and they would be sending buses out to Pool Meadow.

鈥淭here was a shuttle service all day long, (we) got taken to Stoneleigh and the Hospital was at the top of what鈥檚 now Stoneleigh Deer Park Golf Club.

鈥淭hey arranged for people to sit on the hill on tree stumps of whatever and watch a rodeo. We were given donuts and drinks; it was the first time we鈥檇 known such luxury on call. This was unlimited nice things to eat.

鈥淚t was the rodeo that was the thing, because it was American 鈥搒tyle. I can鈥檛 really remember what they did. But it was worthwhile sitting there watching the rodeo, eating and drinking. Feeling free.鈥�

Image: Catherine Lilley

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