Victory Day in Belfast
Holiday Crowds prepare for tonight.
The scene in Belfast to-day, VE-Day, was in violent contrast with the happenings of November 11, 1918. When the last World War reached the Armistice stage. Shortly after 11 o'clock on that day the city went mad and cheering crowds and riotous incidents were common. To-day the occasion of the official ending of German tyranny the streets in the centre of the city presented a quiet holiday appearance with crowds of people parading about the flag-bedecked streets wearing favours of the Allied Nations, the Union Jack predominating. The big moment, of course, was when the citizens assembled round the City Hall to hear Mr. Churchill's declaration that the Nazi might had (have) been conquered. Last night's preparations for bonfires around the city promise that to-night Belfast will be ringed by friendly fires which the N.F.S. men can enjoy without thought of their machines. The delay in announcing when VE-Day actually would be led to considerable misunderstanding in regard to whether people should go to work this morning but even this blunder led to colourful episodes which heralded the festivities of the day.
Thousands of girls who had turned up for work and found the factories closed marched through the streets singing patriotic songs, and their linked ranks made a pleasant sight as they swarmed along Royal Avenue and all over the city. Shortly after eight o'clock this morning a big procession of young girls marched through Templemore Avenue heading towards the Mount in East Belfast, while from the Arches came another body of gay spirited youth singing all out. The parties united and the gaiety of the scene was almost beyond description. All the workers carried flags and some were even dressed in Red White and Blue, but all were gay in the realisation that freedom was triumphant. All public transport services had been maintained at full strength, and holiday crowds went to Bellevue and Hazelwood. Queues lengthened round the picture houses towards the hours of opening, and there was every indication that after the stress of war the people of the Ulster capital were out to enjoy themselves.
South-bound traffic in the city was entirely suspended at 2.30 today by crowds who surrounded the City Hall to await Mr. Churchill's speech. The crowd was a merry one, and in the centre of the throng were parties dancing, solo musicians and bands of various kinds.