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Whilst the armistice began on 11 November 1918, the Treaty of Versailles, which marked the actual end of World War One wasn’t signed until the following June. Whilst there had been spontaneous celebrations in November, by 19 July 1919, official Peace Day celebrations had been organised throughout Britain.

The town of Uttoxeter held its own street party with entertainment and marches. Those in the crowd that had lost relatives during the war were probably wearing a specially designed brooch to remember the dead. Unlike other towns and villages, a portrait of the dead soldiers had been specially painted in its centre.

The look of the town remains very much the same today with one notable exception. Today there is a war memorial on the market place – in 1919 it had yet to be built.

Location: Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 7HP
Image: Peace day celebrations in Uttoxeter, courtesy of Staffordshire County Council