
1945: The first months of peace

1945: The first months of peace
As we mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War, join us for a course exploring how the people of Britain adapted to the challenges of peace. As the relief and euphoria of victory subsided, how did our parents’ and grandparents’ generation respond to the emotional reality of peace? As the forces demobilised and families reunited, how did a new government grapple with reconstruction in the face of near bankruptcy and a mass of economic and social problems? Following the period from VE Day to Christmas 1945 and drawing on memoirs, diaries and eyewitness accounts as well as historical records, we’ll consider how an exhausted nation began its recovery from six years of war.
Event Information
Price: £90
Course Weeks: 6
Room: Baskerville Room
Campaign: Autumn Term 2025
Customer Information: If you have any family memoirs or memorabilia relating to the period, please feel free to share them with the class.
Your Tutor
Name: Stephen Barnard
Bio: Stephen spent 21 years as a specialist writer with Reader’s Digest before going freelance in 1999. He has been writing and lecturing on broadcasting, film and popular music on a part-time basis for over 30 years. He has run courses for the WEA, De Montfort University, the City University and a number of Hertfordshire arts groups, and his five books include Studying Radio, the standard academic textbook on the subject.
Department: Humanities