Yorkshire pub sells pints & fish and chips at 1945 prices to celebrate VE Day - with one beer at 7p a pint

Patriotic pubs across the UK were offering food and drinks at 1945 prices on Thursday (May 8), to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

In Ilkley, The Flying Duck pub landlord Gerard Simpson, 51, has lowered the cost of the brewpub's Wharfedale Brewery Gold beer to just 7p.

The pub is selling the first 80 pints of the beer, which usually costs £4.80, at 1945 prices.

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Gerard, whose 21-year-old son Harry serves in the army, said he hoped pubgoers would give to the charity 'generously'.

(L>R) David Marshall, Terry Capes, Steve Hadfield with their 7p pints.(L>R) David Marshall, Terry Capes, Steve Hadfield with their 7p pints.
(L>R) David Marshall, Terry Capes, Steve Hadfield with their 7p pints.

He said: "The world would be completely different if it wasn't for today.

"As veterans pass away, it just seems to be getting forgotten on a year-by-year basis and it needs celebrating.

"I just hope people give generously and don't just give the seven pence, we're taking no money at all for the Gold today, and at the end of the day all the money's going into a collection pot for the Royal British Legion.

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"The work they do is absolutely fantastic. My own son is in the British military and I just think it's important that there is a fund there to look after these veterans, whether they be old or young, whether they've got physical injuries or mental injuries.

(L>R) Stephen Breakspear, Mark Lefley, Rachel Carnie, and Sean Shepke.(L>R) Stephen Breakspear, Mark Lefley, Rachel Carnie, and Sean Shepke.
(L>R) Stephen Breakspear, Mark Lefley, Rachel Carnie, and Sean Shepke.

"They also look after the families, I just think they do a fantastic job."

Meanwhile, The Bell Hotel in Winslow, Bucks, is expected to sell 150 servings of crispy battered cod, chunky homestyle chips and mushy peas for the just 8p.

The price is the equivalent of one and a 'tanner' (one and sixpence) in today's money.

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Phil Gomm, 63, said the pub was 'well packed' today (May 8) ahead of its lunchtime kick off.

The Bucks councillor for Quainton and event management associate for The Bell said: "When you look back at WWII, fish and chips was one of the main meals everyone had.

"The potatoes were a good quantity from the fields of Great Britain and fish was an easy product to obtain.

"The Bell is subsidising the costs in good faith for those who gave their lives.

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"It is us saying thank you to keeping Great Britain as Great Britain. Without those servicemen and women, we wouldn't be here today.

"It is something that should never ever be put to the back burner and forgotten.

"We would hope that would prevent the nastiness and venom of wars in different nations today."

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