Europe for Visitors Blog

ABOVE: Actors will portray WWII Britons during "An Evening on the Home Front" at Blists Hill Victorian Town in Shropshire.

Blists Hill Victorian Town, one of Shropshire's ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums, is celebrating its 40th anniversary with "Blitz Hill: An Evening on the Home Front" on Saturday, June 22, from 6 to 9 p.m.

When you arrive, you'll be given a ration coupon for an ounce of kali. (Think of the kali as an appetizer: Fish & chips and beer will be on sale in unlimited quantities throughout the evening.)

The museum's organizers note that "on this midsummer evening, no blackout will be required." You'll be able to see casting in the foundry, listen to a brass brand playing music of the era, meet the ARP warden and WVS leader, learn about "Digging for Victory," try a Spam fritter, learn ways to make the most of food rations, see vintage vehicles (including steam locomotives), and drill with the Home Guard.

Another item on the agenda is a concert in Morton's Ironworks, which will be presented in the style of the BBC's popular "Workers Playtime Show" that toured factories and workplaces around Britain during World War II.

To attend the "Blitz Hill" festivities, you'll need to purchase tickets in advance from the Blists Hill Victorian Town entrance shop, the Ironbridge VisitorCentre, or any of the other Ironbridge Gorge Museums.

For more information, visit the Blitz Hill page at www.ironbridge.org.uk.

Photo: Ironbridge Gorge Museums.