Sad to report Woohall Spa forties weekend is a shadow of what it once was, where what felt like the entire village took part, the woods were full of World War Two troops and their equipment, the Golf Hotel had entertainment as did the Petwood Hotel. The Mall pub had singers during the day and evening and the village halls held dances and the local park was also busy, it really was a fabulous event with a great feeling.

However, in 2023 the event was cancelled due to the cost of putting the event on and some missing funds. It seems allegedly the funds were borrowed by one of the committee and so the story goes were later paid back after the sale of his house and no charges were brought against him.

The following year there was absolutely nothing happening in the village but a few of us went back in an effort to show solidarity with the village in the hope that the event would be revived, although this was the time when we found out apparently only half of the village want the event and in fact were rather against there ever being another. One has to wonder why you would move to a village knowing it to be the wartime home of 617 the Dam Busters squadron and then complain because lovers of the forties descended upon the place for a forties weekend.

We have persisted in going back and had great hopes when the Country Park caravan park took over the running of the event and although the first year was small we had signs of the resurgence of a great oak from this tiny little acorn. It is rather sad, having tried to help encourage the event for the last four years by coming every year, we are now feeling that we shall not be returning again.

Unfortunately, these events are expensive to attend, as we arrive on the Friday and leave on the Monday which used to give us plenty of time to take part in the old event and by doing so put some cash into the hands of the local hotels, restaurants, pubs and entertainers, unfortunately this new event does not warrant three nights in a hotel, in fact without putting two fine a point on it, you could see it all in a morning.

So, at this moment in time we are feeling we have flogged this poor old horse nearly to death and we feel it is time to put this one out to pasture and a long and happy retirement.

I have a couple of photos to post to remind us in future years of our journey with Woodhall Spa when Facebook posts a memory for me!

It is slightly sad to think the highlight of the weekend was my purchase of this rather lovely walking stick at a local antique fair over the weekend, £5 well spent! Whereas, the highlight of the weekend for Angella was a visit to the home of vitage trader Melanie Harris and a private viewing of her stock which resulted in some very interesting purchases. Thanks for the invitation Mel!

This just about sums up the weekend, our friends asked the waitress where we were eating to take a photo on her camera and this is what she sent me, all I can say is if she has desires to be the new David Bailey, I suggest she doesn’t give up the day job.

And, finally we popped into the Petwood Hotel, the wartime home of the Dam Busters which took me back to a trip I organised with friends from the Bentley Drivers Club some many years ago where I came in my 1947 Bentley Mk VI, a great memory of friends, some sadly no loger with us.