Military police, evacuated children and Winston Churchill were among the thousands who flocked to Haworth on Saturday and Sunday for the village's 1940s weekend.

The nostalgic event was particularly poignant this year as it coincided with the 60th anniversary of VE Day. Veterans of the conflict attended the festival and were given a starring role as they proudly displayed their war medals.

Elsewhere, both villagers and visitors dressed up in 1940s dress as Haworth became a hive of wartime activity.

A fleet of military and civil vehicles paraded through the village, the Home Guard was on duty and swing and jive tunes echoed around the famous cobbled streets.

On Saturday a George Formby impersonator entertained the large crowds outside the parsonage. Meanwhile a Winston Churchill look-a-like mingled with his people amid stirring speeches.

Churchill -- aka Robert Burns, from the West Midlands -- arrived in a 1939 Rolls Royce. On Sunday he recited the speech the wartime PM made from Buckingham Palace on VE Day. The National Anthem followed straight after.

Mr Burns said the event was one of the best he had been to.

"It's my sixth time here and I have to say that it's marvellous. I've done 54 visits in the last year, but I enjoy Haworth more and more every year," he said.

There were also four celebration dances, one of which took place in Silsden, while 52 evacuees arrived on Sunday clutching gas masks and suitcases.

The evacuees, largely made up of pupils from Haworth and Stanbury primary schools, were then treated to a tea party, featuring paste sandwiches, jelly and butterfly cakes.

Haworth hotel owner Richard McInnes was a military policeman for the weekend and admitted he had initially been nervous about wearing his officer's uniform.

But he said: "It's been really enjoyable. I was a little anxious at first, particularly as it's the first year I've done it, but once I saw everyone else dressed up I was okay."

Haworth Traders' Association organised the event -- which first began ten years ago to coincide with the 50th anniversary of VE Day. It is now one of the largest events of its kind in the country.

Jacqui Purlan, from the association, said: "It was absolutely fabulous. We were worried that because it was VE Day our event would be diluted because so many other events were taking place. But it was exactly the opposite -- more people came because it was VE Day. I'd never seen so many people in costumes."

The event did have some hiccups with the planned RAF Dakota flypast cancelled due to high winds. There was also a late change of transport for the evacuees after Keighley Bus Museum pulled out of taking the children to Haworth. Aire Valley Transport then stepped in to save the day.