Sights and sounds of wartime Christmas at Royal Armouries

TUNES from wartime Britain echoed through the Royal Armouries in Leeds offering a glimpse of Christmas past at the weekend.

Visitors learned steps from the 1940s' dance The Stroll and how people survived on rations during the festive season as they were invited to unwrap the gift of a Second World War Yuletide at the museum.

Seasonal pleasures included home-made presents, decorations, wartime stories and music.

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The UK Home Front Society offered an insight into the bygone era through costumed hands-on history displays and women could recreate the look of the time through hair and make-up workshops.

Lisa Turton, the museum's events manager, said: "Everyone had a really lovely time. The Stroll dancing was attended by pensioners which was lovely because most of our events are themed weekends aimed at families. We had a lady who was crying at the Home Front display because it brought back memories and a lady who refused a song sheet at the sing-along because she knew all the words.

"We wanted to do a Christmas themed event; we did a Victorian Christmas last year. This one relates to our Second World War collection. We try to relate all our events back to our museum collection."

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