Today is VE Day, Victory in Europe Day, when on Tuesday 8th May 1945 the Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of Germany bringing an end to the Second World War in Europe causing massive celebrations all over Great Britain and around the world.
It took a few more months before the Japanese surrendered in August 1945 before the war was completely over but today social media is awash with comments about VE Day and quite rightly so.
I wonder though how many young people are marking the day, for I have come across many teenagers and 20 year olds who have no idea what VE Day is and while I can perhaps understand them not knowing, I am frequently surprised to find 30 and 40 year olds who I would have thought were closer to someone who would have fought and would know.
Those of us who are older, myself having just turned 70 last week and had a Grandfather who fought in the First World War and a father who fought in the Second World War are all to aware of VE Day and what it must have meant to those who were alive at the time.
When older people talk of “the War,” we all know what they are referring to but as time passes it seems fewer and fewer people are aware of the events that enabled them to be free today, which seems rather sad to me.
The same situation seems to be happening in the classic car world with the young showing little interest in potentially taking on the ownership of our old cars when we finally pop our clogs.
It seems to be a sad reflection on the youth of today that they are more concerned with smashing and taking down statues which tell the story of the history of the country or abolishing cars with an internal combustion engine rather than preserving them for future generations.
I wonder whether future generations will have actually achieved anything that is worth preserving or celebrating, I have to say I have my doubts.
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About The Diary of a Country Bumpkin
I am a retired actor, although to be honest I only retired because I wasn't getting any work and the option of becoming an unemployed actor/waiter at my age was ludicrous, especially as my waiting skills are non-existent.
Having said I’m retired, I don’t think there really is such a thing as a retired actor for I am still available for work, I just don’t have an agent or any connections with regards to obtaining any worthwhile work.
I have over the years done student films when there is nothing else available, always low paid (if at all) the only incentive was always the promised copy of the finished film for your show reel which nine times out of ten always failed to materialise.
I spent many years looking after my aged mother who had dementia, hence the lack of acting work but shortly after her death I was lucky enough to run into an ex-girlfriend of many years ago and our romance blossomed once again, resulting in us getting married in 2013.
My move to the countryside inspired me to write The Diary of a Country Bumpkin which tells of my continuing dilemmas in dealing with the rigors of the countryside from the unexpectedly large number of pollens, fungal moulds and hay products waiting to attack the unsuspecting townie.
I enjoy writing, see my play Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori on The Wireless Theatre Company, The Plays Wot I Wrote and The Battle of Barking Creek both available on Amazon.co.uk and am very fond of classic cars so my ideal occupation would be acting in a film I had written set in the 1930s/40s, we live in hopes.
I am delighted to say that since venturing to the countryside where space is not quite the premium it is in town, I have due to the availability of two double garages acquired more classic cars to form a small collection the pride of which are a 1947 Bentley Mk VI and a 2000 Bentley Arnage.
My various blogs and websites are continually evolving and I’m sure that by following the appropriate links you will find something which will edify or amuse.
The Diary of a Country Bumpkin 
Perhaps we could start manufacturing train wheels that don’t crack!
I bet they didn’t find out they were cracked by a man walking down the train hitting them with a hammer and listening to see if it rings!
That makes me think of adjusting tappets by sound. So many youngsters don’t even hear the sounds of nature nowadays because they have their “buds” in!
Either that or they are looking at their phones and walking into the road or into lampposts.
If my hubby had still been alive, this is the first thing he would say when seeing the date.
You obviously have to be of a certain age to know, let’s hope some of the youngsters get to know what it means.
I would hope so.