Wave your Union Jack with pride and swing into the 1940s with London’s Blitz Party, a night of uplifting community spirit, live bands and fabulous 40s fashion, at the air-raid proof “bunker” offered by Shoreditch’s railway arches.

It’s red lippy, rolled tresses and tea dresses for the ladies; brylcreem and braces for the gents. Men in uniforms (Allied Forces only please) gad about with head-scarved land girls. Blackout curtains and sandbags line the walls, while oil lamps, ration books, tea urns and sandwiches all add to the atmosphere of courage, camaraderie and East London cool.

We felt a real wow-factor on arrival, and spent much of the night people-watching – ogling the “officers” and admiring everyone’s amazing attention to dressing-up detail.

The venue is vast, leaving plenty of room for lindy-hopping along to the bands on stage. Seemingly professional dancers twirled past at top speeds, encouraging the rest of us to give it a go, imagining we were in Christina Aguilera’s video for Candy Man.  When all the jiving and jitterbugging left us parched, we needed our best Blitz spirit to withstand the bar queues – authentic 1940s cocktails take time to prepare… and there’s a war on, y’know!

The next Blitz Party will be on December 5, so chaps – roll up your sleeves, and chap-esses – slip on silk seamed stockings, and join the convivial crowds at London’s truly unique celebration of 40s fashion, frolics and fun.

Check out www.theblitzparty.com for more info, but no dithering: these events sell out fast!