Belles join in vintage fun at Brierley Hill market - with pictures
Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra and the Bluebird Bells took over Dudley for the day – as the town was transported back to the 1940s.
The free event at Brierley Hill Market Hall was held on Saturday to coincide with the weekly market and attracted dozens of visitors.
It was a 1940s theme day for the market, with the regular traders dressing up in old time outfits.
Vintage vocal harmony trio, the Bluebird Belles, made up of Jimmi-Anne Wilkinson, Beth Berwick-Lowe and Abbi Baker, entertained shoppers at various points of the day with 1940s tunes, and there were games for children to play such as apple bobbing.
There was also 1940s dancing, and prizes handed out for the best costumes on the day.
Site supervisor at the market Steven Bridgwater, who also runs a toiletries stall, said it was a "fantastic day".
"We've already booked for next year. It was our first one but it was just brilliant, just a fantastic day," he said.
"Everyone enjoyed it. It was such a success. Everyone went all out and dressed up and even visitors dressed up too. We had one man who turned up with this 1943 American Jeep out the back too, which was the icing on the cake."
Mr Bridgwater said traders first decided to organise the event to draw more people into the market.
He said: "We started collecting £1 a week to put towards it, as we knew it was going to cost us. The market provided some money towards it too. But we have some funds leftover so we're going to do a Halloween spooktacular event and also a Christmas grotto in December.
"We're even thinking about doing a Brierley Hill's Got Talent event next year too. With the footfall being what it is in the high street, we just wanted to see how we could get more people in. And it was a brilliant day."
Vicky Clyde and Michelle Allsopp, who run Clyde's Cafe, attended the event to provide shoppers and traders with hot food, while traders Marion Ellsmore and Jackie Drakeley sold dozens of their traditional burnt cobs.
Raymond Bagley from Great Barr surprised organisers by turning up with his 1943 Willys Jeep.
