Ron and Rosie’s wedding celebrations had lasted long into the night, so Peggy hadn’t had much sleep and was suffering from a bit of a hangover. Still, the anticipation for what she’d hoped would come had been enough to get her out of bed that Tuesday morning, and take a stroll with little Daisy and elderly Cordelia Finch along the seafront, to drink in the atmosphere of the gaily decorated town. Her boss, Solly Goldman, had told her the previous evening that since it looked as if Victory in Europe was about to be declared, the clothing factory would be closed for at least two days as there was very little likelihood of any work being done, so Peggy had decided that all but the most basic of household chores could be set aside too.

As the day had progressed, three-year-old Daisy had got over-excited, even though she didn’t understand what was going on, and Peggy became a little tearful at the thought of Jim and the rest of her family being so far away and unable to be with her on this special day. But if peace really had come, then at least her darling Anne and her boys would finally be returning home.

It wasn’t long before close friends and family started arriving at Beach View to share in this momentous occasion, each bearing gifts of food and drink – much to Peggy’s relief, for her own larder was almost bare. The kitchen was soon crammed so it was decided to decamp into the large dining room where, like an omen of good things to come, the sun broke through the clouds to shine brightly through the bay window.

Peggy’s young evacuees, Sarah, Rita, Fran, Danuta and Ivy, had excitedly clattered in and out from their brief forays into town, eventually arriving back with a crate of beer, courtesy of the newlywed Ron and Rosie, who were already very busy behind the bar at the jam-packed Anchor. Fran’s husband Robert had come in with Ivy’s young fireman, Andy, and they’d been swiftly followed by Jim’s elder brother Frank and his wife Pauline, who was smiling for once. And to Rita’s joy, her injured Australian fighter pilot, Peter Ryan, turned up having charmed the new matron at the Memorial Hospital into giving him a lift in her car. His head was heavily bandaged still, and although the plaster was long-gone from his leg, he still found walking a trial and had to use crutches to get about.