Memories of euphoria and delight came flooding back to a Horrabridge resident during the events to mark the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War Two.

Jill Fitzsimmons remembers well the delight and relief as she joined the celebrating crowds in London marking the end of the war in 1945 80 years ago as a little girl.

Jill was invited to talk to Horrabridge Primary pupils to help them understand why the anniversary was important to all ages.

She said: “It was lovely to talk to the children. I have two grandchildren there and my children went there. I was also the very first nursery assistant at the school on the original site.

“The children were very well-behaved and polite and asked me lots of questions when I went for the VE 80 event. The wanted to know about our sweet rations.

“It brought everything back to me about the end of the war. I lived in Edgware in Middlesex because of family connections when my dad helped run a family business. My parents also had connections in Horrabridge where my grandparents ran a drapers shop. “

When the Germans started bombing London Jill, who later ran a newsagents in Horrabridge, was evacuated to Horrabridge as a baby to be safe.

Her aunt looked after her and she briefly attended Tavyside School in Tavistock where her aunt taught. Jill travelled back and forwards to Edgware to see her parents during the war until it was deemed safe for her to live with them again, aged six.

“When I was back living in Edgware victory was declared and on VE Day we went up to the city, like everyone, else to join in the excitement.

“Me and Mum went with the next-door neighbours. The son was only 16, but really nice and tall for his age, so he carried me on his shoulders so I could see everything and not get lost.

“When we went over what I now assume was the Serpentine on a bridge, I felt like I was going to fall over the black iron railings into the water, which was a bit scary.

“There were big crowds and everyone was so happy. I can even now remember the euphoria of everyone round us. We got caught up in it. I was also amazed at how bright everything was and realised later it was because all the lighting was on. We’d grown so used to everything being dark at night due to air raids and dull during the day.

“I think it was extra bright because they shone the searchlights that they used to help shoot down the Germans.

“In the end we didn’t get to Buckingham Palace, as we’d planned, and where everyone else seemed to be going. The crowds were too big and we couldn’t get through. But lots of people were shouting ‘we want the King, we want the King’.”

Jill added: “Of course the war wasn’t really over in the Far East. We should remember them as well. I had a relative in the Devonshire Regiment who was badly treated by the Japanese.”