Villagers were encouraged to make the troops feel ‘at home’ in both World Wars.

The picture above shows the Hollobon family entertaining three soldiers at their home at Five Ash Down about 1917. Mr Francis Hollobon is wearing his Local Defence Volunteers uniform. Young Frank Hollobon (front left) is sporting the cap of the soldier who took the photograph. Also in the picture are daughters Dorothy and Edna (who died in the 1918 ‘flu epidemic). Their mother, Sarah Hollobon was a familiar figure who travelled by donkey cart.

The village dressed up and acted to entertain the troops. The picture below shows the cast of “Beauty and the Beast” circa 1920.

In the Second World War the village hall dances were very popular with the troops.

According to Betty Turner:

Bartering went on between the troops who were happy to exchange the odd half pound of butter or packet of cigarettes for some ‘home made’ cooking. The Canadian cigarettes I understood were particularly well received! We children gladly received the odd Canadian comic, highly coloured and much larger than our “Dandy”, “Beano”, “Knockout” or “Hotspur”. These comics were passed round and each copy read by dozens of children. Stamp collectors were very pleased to accept postage stamps for their albums from the Canadian soldiers.