Victory Tribute, by Vale Royal Amateur Operatic Society)

The idea was to honour the memory of the brave men and women in the armed forces, and ordinary folk who endured the war with fortitude and cheerfulness.

The show included sketches like a Dad's Army sketch and even a children's comedy sketch.

The singing and dancing and the comedy sketches were interspersed by a narrator telling the highs and lows of the war years, 1939 to 1945.

I'd forgotten how many good tunes were written during these years, not just We'll Meet Again and White Cliffs of Dover but dozens of other memorable melodies.

The cast were kitted out in authentic uniforms of the period and the entire show generated feelings of pride and patriotism.

For me the highlights included three-part singing in the manner of the Andrews Sisters, and also a splendid St Louis Blues number danced by am energetic troupe of young girls in the manner of baseball cheerleaders.

One comedy sketch involved three members of the junior division of the Operatic Society. This was well performed by the youngsters and well written by Bev Langham - and comical.

Another sketch that came off very well was written by Edna Taylor. Called Three War Brides this was fresh and very amusing.

The narration was extremely well written by Edna Rothwell and was well presented by the master of ceremonies.

Particularly impressive were the audio-visual effects, with the voice of Churchill and Queen Elizabeth as well as genuine newsreel footage of the period, expertly blended into the show.

Every golden melody was superbly accompanied by a tip-top group of musicians with excellent rhythm maintained by the energetic drummer, especially in the last rousing version of Land of Hope and Glory.

All in all, a worthwhile and enjoyable show thanks to everyone involved, especially, producer/choreographer Brenda Brown; musical director Eileen Stringer and assistant producer, Edna Rothwell.

Review by Richard Kelsall.