Big welcome as Shrewsbury went Dutch
In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, Shrewsbury forged an enduring link with a Dutch town.
Townsfolk decided around October 1945 to "adopt" Zutphen, which had been seriously damaged by bombing in the conflict. In July 1947 a group of 115 guests from Zutphen were welcomed to Shropshire.
This picture from Peter Hawksworth of Castle Lane, Bayston Hill, shows Shrewsbury youngsters being welcomed to Zutphen on the return part of the exchange.
"I thought readers may be interested to see this," he said.
"The picture was taken at a welcoming reception in Zutphen. I am in the middle, aged 14.
"The picture is from a Shrewsbury schools exchange in 1947. I was at Shrewsbury Technical College, and there were also pupils from Shrewsbury School and the Priory. This was the return visit. The Dutch kids came over here and we all went back together.
"All went back by train, spending a night in Goodge Street deep shelters before getting a boat train to Harwich. The boat went from Harwich to the Hook of Holland, then by coach to Zutphen.
"There is a sundial in the middle of the picture, I am the one who is right behind it. There is a dark-haired girl next to me on my left and a boy with dark hair, jacket and tie right behind me, slightly to my right. His name is Jimmy Leach and he had the original photo and copied it for me several years ago. He lived in Belle Vue, but I don't know if he is still alive.
"The civic building is behind us. The picture was taken from ramparts, but I can't remember the name of the building. This was the welcome from the people of Zutphen. Various visits were organised, including Amsterdam where there were ship and crane wrecks in the harbour.
"It really was a shambles two years after the war."
