VE Day 80 was celebrated in great style on Saturday, May 3 in Llandovery Market Square.

Crowds gathered at Llandovery Farmers’ Market with the air ringing with a day-long 1940s playlist by Andy Baillie. Performance art from The Kitsch n Sync Collective and dancers from the Carmarthenshire Lindy Hoppers, Pembrokeshire Lindy Hoppers, Hot Gin Swing and Pembrokeshire Swing Jive kept people’s feet tapping and faces smiling.

Lindy Hoppers at the Market Square
Lindy Hoppers at the Market Square (Lyndsey Maiden)

Traders and customers alike were dressed in 1940s fashion to add to the fun. Suits, fedoras, fob watches, headscarves, aprons and flouncy skirts could be seen all around. Sunshine and the festive atmosphere ruled the day.

Raoul and Vanessa from Bwrlwm
Raoul and Vanessa from Bwrlwm (.)
The Kitsch n Sync Collective
The Kitsch n Sync Collective provided some of the entertainment (Raoul Bhambral)
The traders also got into the spirit of the day
The traders also got into the spirit of the day (Raoul Bhambral)

Market manager Raoul Bhambral said: “It was great to celebrate the last 80 years of peace in Europe, especially as we are living in such dangerous times right now. We were joined by veterans in their uniforms to remind us why today was so important. The local vicar Paul Pitchard and member of the Royal British Legion said some solemn words to remind us that whilst the war might have ended in Europe, it was still raging elsewhere.

“All the more reason to celebrate now and to keep up our calls for peace in the future. Llandovery Farmers’ Market and Hybu Llanymddyfri did all we could to make the event magic and memorable.”

Carmarthenshire Lindy Hoppers gave shoppers an impromptu lesson in the Lambeth Walk amongst performances of ‘Hello Buoys’ by The Kitsch n Sync Collective. The Cardiff-based all-female troupe enchanted the crowd with their period costumes and their comic routine of just ‘coming off the steamer’.