Street parties were held across the city in the spring of 1945 with people displaying the 'V' for 'victory' sign with their fingers, symbolic of 'Victory in Europe' and signifying an end to World War II. It was also a 12 months which featured a reunion of returned prisoners of war at Roundhay Park and a visit by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and wife Clementine to the city centre. Enjoy these rarely seen photos, a mix from the YEP archive and others published courtesy of photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service, charting the year. READ MORE: The Leeds Blitz - Nine air raids which brought death and devastation LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook YEP RETRO NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our free monthly email digest of Leeds nostalgia
7. Garforth
Residents of the Beech Grove area celebrating the end of the Second World War with a party, possibly on Beech Grove Terrace. Pictured in September 1945. | Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net
8. Leeds city centre
Re-union held at Roundhay Park for returned prisoners of war and their families. Seen here in Briggate boarding special trams to take them up to Roundhay are some of the 3,000 servicemen and 7,000 relatives who attended. The event was organised by the Yorkshire Evening News. Pictured in June 1945. | YPN Photo: YPN
9. Roundhay Park
Lord Mayor of Leeds Charles Walker making a speech of welcome to returned POW (Prisoners of War) at a rally held in Roundhay Park. The Yorkshire Evening News ran a POW club, sending out parcels and cigarettes to POW Camps. There were 20,000 members of the club in Yorkshire. On returning home from camps in the far east £5 was given to each person from the Newspaper fund. Pictured in June 1945. | YPN Photo: YPN
10. Leeds city centre
Sir Winston and Lady Churchill leaving Leeds Civic Hall in June 1945. His popularity in this immediate post-war period is seen here. A dense cheering crowd are giving him a rousing send-off. In spite of his personal popularity the Conservative party were defeated in the General Election which was held on July 5, 1945. Clement Attlee's Labour party won a majority of 145 seats. The general public felt that a Labour Government would rebuild Britain without the class and social divisions of previous generations. | YPN Photo: YPN
11. Roundhay Park
POW Rally organised by the Yorkshire Evening News POW club. The organising secretary was Mrs Constance Gold, seen here in the centre talking to some of the former prisoners and their families. Pictured in June 1945. | YPN Photo: YPN
12. Roundhay Park
Reunion of friends at a rally in Roundhay Park for ex-prisoners of War, organised by the Yorkshire Evening News in June 1945. | YPN Photo: YPN