Woodhall Spa 1940s Festival to go ahead despite Ukraine concerns

Concerns had been raised over whether it was appropriate for the 1940s festival to go ahead, given the war in Ukraine

A wartime-themed event which was under threat of being pulled due to sensitivities over the war in Ukraine will go ahead, organisers have said.

The Woodhall Spa 1940s Festival, which features parades and re-enactors in period dress, attracts up to 45,000 to the Lincolnshire village each year.

But concerns had been raised over whether it was appropriate this year.

However, organisers have now said the event will take place and will raise funds to support Ukrainian refugees.

People had previously been asked to share their views via an online survey about whether the 1940s Festival should take place in the village.

Announcing the decision, a spokesperson for the festival committee said: "We are pleased to confirm our 2022 festival will go ahead on 9-10 July as planned.

"After thoroughly examining the festival in light of the current conflict in Ukraine, our committee is confident to press on with planning and delivering this summer's event.

"We are also committed to using the festival to raise and donate funds to support Ukrainian refugees in our local area," the spokesperson added.

Festival orgnaiser Andy Hunter said this year's event would not include any "skirmishes or mock battles"

But festival organiser Andy Hunter said there would be some changes to the format of the event compared to previous years.

"In the past, we've had some Russian re-enactors that have come to our festival, and of course they won't be coming this year.

"It's not been a big part of our festival, but we've had skirmishes and mock battles in the past and we won't be doing those this year either.

"As a committee, we remain very sensitive to the issues and will look at other things on a case-by-case basis," Mr Hunter said.

The 2022 festival is billed as a celebration of the resilience of people on the home front in the 1940s

The festival's organisers had also consulted as widely as possible, including with local businesses, residents and via the online survey, Mr Hunter added.

"We decided as a committee, quite rightly, to just take stock, to make sure we were heading in the right direction," he said.

This year's event, billed as a celebration of the resilience of people on the home front in the 1940s, will be the first time the festival has been held since the start of the pandemic.