Brunswick In The Blitz – A Treat For Vintage Fashion Fans
Brunswick Park is a gorgeous green space in the heart of Wednesbury. It was opened in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, and it retains a wonderful air of calm, a perfect place for a picnic, to walk your dog or just to spot local wildlife. But on Saturday and Sunday last week, the park was alive with the sounds of Big Band tunes, and awash with colourful 1940s fashion as it played host to the first ‘Brunswick in the Blitz’, transporting the park and its visitors back to the heady days of 1940s.
The beautiful bandstand, which is usually closed, was open once again, as the Ashby Big Band played the tunes of Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra and Cole Porter. The sun shone for at least part of the afternoon, as couples dressed in 1940s dress, from military uniform, land girl garb and more glamorous tea dresses, enjoyed dancing to the memorable tunes. There was also a sing along of wartime songs from another conflict, with ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary’ particularly enjoyed.
A red Routemaster bus provided the perfect bar for refreshments of the alcoholic kind, whilst more refined tea and coffee could be found at the Blitz tearoom, which was also stocking a range of delicious homemade cakes and cookies.
Brunswick in the Blitz had a range of stalls that offered information about the 1940s, from ‘Dig for Victory; and growing your own, to the reality of rationing. I was fascinated by the false and elaborate wedding cake that was made from cardboard, and housed a rather more modest fruit cake underneath. There were beautiful vintage cars to enjoy, and military vehicles too. And then there were stalls, selling a range of beautifully curated vintage fashion and homewares, all at very reasonable prices, and totally adding to the authentic feel of the event. From retro furs to glorious hats, and beautiful leather handbags and vintage cake stands, this was a treasure trove that would delight vintage lovers of all ages.
Brunswick in the Blitz was a fantastic event which I hope will happen again very soon. It was simply lovely.
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20 Comments
Louise
Wow, that looks fabulous! I love all the festivals we have here in the UK, there is one for everything now! 🙂
Alicia Trautwien
This looks like it was a blast! I just love the 40’s style clothing and hair. I wish we had something like that around us!
jenny at dapperhouse
Oh wow! I am so jealous that you got to experience all of that history. I am crazy for vintage and would love to have seen it for myself.
Sarah Bailey
Oh wow what an amazing looking event this looks like, I love history and I bet it was wonderful to get a little step back in history.
Amber
This looks like a fun event! I love history, so this would be right up my alley.
Rose Montgomery
Ooh I would have loved to check this out. Looks like an event I would visit every year without getting tired of seeing.
Jen Walker
Oh my goodness, this event sounds like it was so much fun to attend! I love the vintage clothing as well!
Kitty
That event sounds great… I love anything vintage… I hope you guys had fun there 🙂
Mayuri
Awesome! This looks like a fun event. I love anything that has a history attached to it. Absolutely love the post. 🙂
Blair Villanueva
You are right, my eyes got hooked with these vintage pieces. A huge Omg for that vintage car!
Jessica Taylor
This looks like so much fun! I love vintage things like this, especially when they have so much history behind it!
Angela Milnes
What an awesome journey back in time. The park across from where I grew up did stuff similar to this.
akamatra
I loved reading about this place! I always try to find places with a story behind them to tell my hubby about and this one made the cut 🙂
Miranda
Love! Love! Love!
The pictures and scenery are great!
This is such a good way to travel in time, did you get a chance to treat yourself more than once?
The experience enough is amazing!
toastycritic
Looks like it was a great festival. And I am always amazed by the incredible old time fashions that are out there. I love when Disney does Dapper Days at Disneyland and they have a ton of vintage clothing and materials.
Cynthia Nicoletti
Looks like you had a great time. I love festivals. Great photos.
Jessica Martin
This event looks so fun! I love the styles of the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. I love how people dressed up. I love that old car! I have special place in my heart for older things. I also love the accessories and jewelry picture. This is something I would go to!
Amila
wow!I love to join with such an event.I am sure you had a blast around vintage fashion styles and items.Pictures are gorgeous too.
Wildish Jess
This would be a fun event to check out. I’d love to peruse everything to see how different things are.
Rebecca Swenor
The Brunswick in the Blitz sounds like it was an awesome event. I would love to go to an event like this some day. The older eras always have been an interest of mine and my families. Thanks for sharing this awesome event.