Some of the ways Bathonians raised funds for the Alkmaar Appeal in 1945

The following examples all come from contemporary reports in the Bath Chronicle:

• an auction of about 200 donated lots at the Old Post Office on Oct 4th, including crockery, jewelry, silverware, China, glass and paintings, arranged by auctioneers Berry Powell and Shackell.
• ‘Whist’ drives (card game) held across the City
• West Twerton Girls School sent gifts direct to children in Alkmaar, receiving thank you latters back
• St Luke’s Infants and Junior Schools in Odd ~Down collected clothing, toys, tins of food, and kitchen utensils, plus money
• Walcot Modern School pupils made and then sold sweets, and also donated their pocket money
• Kingsmead Infants School collected funds during the Sports Day
• Residents of Haycombe Drive dressed up in fancy dress and paraded around the streets, with accompanying musicians
• A Mrs Tylee of Widcombe okayed her accordion around local streets, accompanied by ‘a throng of children’
• Bath City FC put on a special charity match, with all proceeds from the gate going to the Appeal, and their players donating their wages from the match
• Jimmie Wills and his friends wheeled the ‘barrel organ’ around the streets of Bath, and surrounding villages and towns: it was also wheeled around the Bath City FC pitch at half-time
• A show was put on in the Pump Room, featuring singers, a saxophone band, a male voice choir, and a comedian
• A Mr Chappel lost his wallet with two weeks pay in it: when it was found and returned to him, he donated the lot to the Appeal.
• Several groups of children organised Jumble Sales
• Bath Rangers and Sea Rangers put on a musical concert
• A dance was held at the Weston Hotel, with a live band
• The Athletic Club of local engineering firm, Stothert & Pitt, held a combined sports day and animal show
• The Bath Chess Club arranged a concert in the Pump Room
• An “Alkmaar Appeal Ball” was held in the Pump Rooms, with “non-stop dancing from 8.00pm to 2.00am”
• Bath Scouts sent funds to the Alkmaar Scouts
• The Palace Theatre donated all the proceeds from a special performance of Noel Coward’s play, “Blithe Spirit”
• Organ recitals were held in the Abbey, and Bathwick St Mary’s church
• A stamp exhibition was held in the Victoria Art Gallery
• A ‘mile of pennies’ was collected by local WRENs

The people of Alkmaar was amazed and touched by what Bath was doing.

“In our hearts we are deeply moved by the Adoption Appeal from your town, an appeal which we most gratefully acknowledge…May the ties of friendship which bind Bath and Alkmaar…ever become stronger and bear witness to our common thoughts and ideals

Letter to the Mayor of Bath from Burgomaster van Kinschot, June 1945

“Hallo Bath!  On behalf of the people of our town of Alkmaar, we convey to you, the people of Bath, our sincere gratitude for what you are doing and have already done for us.  Clothes for our poor children and adults, furniture, blankets, money and such things which are now on their way to us – we are in need of all of them.  But, most of all, we needed your sympathy, and we are glad to have won it.”

A message, in English, published in the Dutch Resistance newspaper, “Het Parool”, reported in the Bath Chronicle July 1945

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