French liberation weekend comes to East Coast resort

Cleethorpes will be the place to see the Liberation of Southern France in 1944 re-enacted this weekend, when a rerun of “Operation Dragoon” hits the resort.
By The Newsroom
Published 10th Aug 2011, 10:13 BST

More than a dozen businesses have joined in to make it the biggest 1940s-themed weekend the resort has ever hosted.

King George VI, Franklin D Roosevelt, Montgomery and other wartime characters will make an appearance while battles will be fought on the Meridian Park arena, which will also host displays of military vehicles and equipment from the Second World War.

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Entertainers will be performing at the Cleethorpes Coast light Railway, Central Promenade Colonnade, Kingsway Kiosk and on Meridian Park daily from 12 noon.

The Kingsway Kiosk and its staff are taking a cue from the popular TV sitcom Allo Allo while Cleethorpes Coast Light railway will be a Railway at War, with troop and evacuee trains, and hand-outs of chocolate bars “to keep the children’s morale high”. The Signal Box Inn, which claims to be the world’s smallest pub, will have an It Ain’t Half Hot Mum theme.

Chris Shaw, owner of the Light Railway and now leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, is one of the organisers.

He said: “Everybody likes to look back to the good old days, especially with things uncertain as they are. What we are saying is, come to Cleethorpes and have a free weekend and forget about your troubles.”

Events are free, including the Liberation Dance at Cleethorpes Memorial Hall. Entry to the dance is ticket-only with tickets available from the Light Railway and Kingsway Kiosk.