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Relatives recreate VE Day conga photo 80 years on

Helen McCarthy & Adele Wilkinson
BBC News, Leicester
Getty Images Photo shows a line of a dozen people doing the conga smiling with police and crowds around Getty Images
An image of people doing the conga around Leicester's Clock Tower on VE day in 1945 was shared on social media ahead of the 80th anniversary

An iconic picture of revellers celebrating VE Day by dancing a conga around the Clock Tower in Leicester has been recreated on its 80th anniversary.

BBC Radio Leicester tracked down the descendants of a number of people in the picture to recreate the dance in the city centre on Thursday.

Jill Kempton-Hayes said she remembered her favourite aunt, Jean Smith, being in the conga, and she can be seen wearing a soldier's Glengarry hat in the picture from 1945.

She said: "[Jean] found it memorable because it happened spontaneously."

Five relatives smile and stand in a conga line
Descendents of those pictured in the original photograph gathered on the 80th anniversary to recreate the moment

Jill, from Syston in Leicestershire, said the photograph was well known within her family.

She said: "Jean was on the buses as a conductor, that was how she came to be in the photograph because she'd come into town to the bus station to see what her next rota was and got caught up in it."

Jill said her aunt had talked about the VE day celebrations on anniversaries over the years.

She added: "She was a bit of a rebel, she pushed the boundaries so I think she would be very proud and pleased to know that she's still remembered for that photograph.

"Life wouldn't be as it is today if it wasn't for that occasion."

A line of a dozen people dancing with the Clock Tower in the background
Relatives led a recreation of the iconic photograph around Leicester's Clock Tower on the 80th anniversary of VE day

Also identified in the photo was Sheila Liquorish.

Her niece Julia French, from Evington, said she remembered her aunt talking about the day.

"She told us how exciting it was, how fun it was, the noise, the elation," she said.

"I think she and her friend skipped out of work to do the conga."

Julia said looking at the photograph now, she felt "proud".

"To think that today we are walking in their footsteps," Julia added. "She loved a party."

Among the other people identified in the 1945 photo were Jean Carter, who was then aged 15, Dennis Hastings, Doris Brown, Iris Smith, Peggy Cort and police officer Percy Moss.

Additional reporting by Ady Dayman and Matt Smith

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