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Evoking World War II gets Royal Approval

Published Friday 8th July 2005

London bobby, Robert Fleming, and 'spiv' sidekick, Micky Barr, entertain the crowds at the Living Museum

Forget Dr Who. If you want to step back into a real time warp the Living Museum in St James's Park is the venue to head for.

"The Living Museum represents every single aspect of wartime life," Lieutenant Commander Richard Smith said.

Jungle Jitters recreate the buzzing of the fearsome bugs in Burmese war camps alongside canvas tents and jeeps. Monty's wartime Rolls Royce, a daily Spitfire scramble and 'ack ack' guns are just some of the authentic touches enjoyed by visitors to commemorate the Second World War.

Others try on gas masks, study scores of photographs and enjoy many of the exhibitions. While over in the hospitality tent, dozens of octogenarian ladies dab at their eyes, overcome with emotion at the opening bars of The White Cliffs of Dover.

Wartime London bobby, Robert Fleming, 62, spends his weekends dressing up with wife Jean and friends, Pete (an air raid warden), in vintage wartime costumes at fetes and shows.

"People love to come up and say 'How wonderful it is to see the old uniforms, if only it was like that now. It's just like dressing up as a kid.'

"But over the last 15 years, interest in the war has blossomed," he said.

Prince Charles and Camilla were VIP guests to launch the Living Museum on the opening day when they inspected a Bofors anti-aircraft gun at a World War II display and jokingly turned it towards reporters. They toured a number of war displays and re-enactments including a Battle of Britain scramble and the Land Army's Soil Cinderellas "Diggers."

Posing outside his vintage Second World War mobile NAFFI canteen Robert chatted to the royal couple as 'spiv' sidekick, played by Micky Barr interrupted the royal chitchat with an offer:

"Do you wanna buy a watch governor?"

The Prince, protested in true royal tradition that he wasn't carrying any money, but Micky was swift to assure him:

"Don’t worry about that governor, I’ll accept your IOU. I know where you live and if you don’t pay up on time, I know to come around and see your mother."

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Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War Two

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