Southwick turns the clock back to the 1940s as community hosts D-Day Revival weekend

Outside St James Church, the village streets were adorned with flags and cheerful bunting as the whole area went back in time to the 1940s.

Antique buses, cars, and motorcycles lined the streets and the singing Spitfire Sisters performed some era-appropriate hits as the crowds of visitors enjoyed the Southwick Revival.

Guests enjoyed home front displays, talks by military historians, a tea room and themed pub, and map room tours.

There was also a coconut shy, Hook-a-Duck, traditional fairground rides, model making, as well as lots of vintage military vehicles to see.

Michael Harvey, an East Grinstead resident, attended the show as his grandfather Henry B. Harvey.

He said: 'We have never done this event before, although we have always meant to - it's such a good event.

'It's an amazing thing to do.

'I normally portray my grandfather. He was a captain in the Royal East Kent Regiment.

'He was enlisted in 1940 and he was eventually sent to North Africa.

'Doing this means I can keep his story alive. It's a very personal story.

'Some of these things I'm wearing are his.'

Among the crowds was Martin Hardy, one of the visitors looking at the vintage equipment on display near the reenactors section on the recreation ground.

He said that 'nostalgia' was one of the draws of the event, and that he enjoys 'dressing the part' for Southwick Revival.

Martin added: 'This shows what the war was like.

'We have got to remember these things.'

Jude Knight, also known as Utility Jude, has been doing 1940s cookery demonstrations for 18 years.

She shows people how our ancestors made best use of their rations, making small amounts of ingredients go a long way and keep people fed.

Jude said: 'I do displays of the home front as a Ministry of Food advisor.

'These are house wife demonstrations - this is what the housewives needed to do.

'It's still appropriate for today.

'There should be someone like me - you can cook using such a little amount of expensive stuff, using other things to bulk it up.'

Stall holder Eve Parris runs a small business called Uniform Memories, which provides British Military scrapbook papers and embellishments for the Army, Navy and Air Force and can be found on Facebook.

She said: 'I've had a lot of interest from people.

'I designed these papers for scrapbooking.

'I want to keep history alive.'

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Revival visitor Amber Roden, an American, came to today’s event to learn some more about British history.

She said: 'I really like history - it's interesting.

'And there's lots of American flags here.'

Richard Salmon is a member of a WWII reenacting group, and is taking part in the Southwick Revival along with Matthew Salter and Jim McLean.

He said: 'We portray the Army Film and Photography Unit.

'We travel around a bit, doing these events.'