Anne and I enjoyed visiting ‘Dame Vera Lynn - An Extraordinary Life’ at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft off Ditchling Green below St Margaret’s Church. It's open until 18 April and you need to book online.

Anne alongside Vera Lynn’s Wedding suit at the Ditchling exhibition. ‘The slim profile of the suit reflects the national concern of austerity during World War II. Made by hand, possibly by Dame Vera's mother, it is smart and understated’. Vera married Harry Lewis in 1941.

‘Dame Vera Lynn - An Extraordinary Life’ evidenced by these contrasting pictures of the Forces Sweetheart visiting wounded troops in Burma (1944) and in later life with Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The Ditchling exhibition continues until 18 April.

‘During the 1930s Dame Vera worked with all the major band leaders - Howard Baker, Charlie Kunz, Billy Cotton, Joe Loss and Bert Ambrose. The promising start with Cotton was short lived and lasted just a week and a half as he was concerned about such a young woman touring with an all-male band… In 1937, the year she signed up with Bert Ambrose's orchestra she used her new found prosperity to buy herself a fur coat, a car (an Austin 10) and a house in Barking with all mod cons’ Ditchling Exhibition caption.

Anne by one of Vera Lynn’s dresses exhibited currently at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft. The 1970s picture at the Drury Lane Theatre for an award event shows left to right:. Harry Secombe, Pete Murray, Eric Morecambe, Ernie Wise, Dickie Henderson, Dame Vera, Kenneth McKellar.

Vera Lynn signing a soldier’s hat on one of her tours during World War II at the current Ditchling Exhibition which includes some of her paintings including this one of a Muslim lady. Dame Vera was rarely without brush and palette in her hand, had a studio at her home in Ditchling and always travelled with her paints.

With Anne I made my first visit to Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft to view the Vera Lynn exhibition. This included these photographs of Dame Vera from 1942 recruiting women fire guards in Pimlico and in later life curtseying to the Queen.