Staff at a charity shop have uncovered a fascinating snapshot of life in north east London and west Essex in 1945 after discovering original copies of the Guardian series of newspapers.


Volunteers at the Saint Francis Hospice store in Barkingside High Street found the haul of editions this month while clearing a house in Woodford Green which belonged to a recently deceased pensioner.


It is not known why the man, whose identity is protected by the charity due to their donor policy, saved a select few copies of editions from 1945, but many of them feature momentous moments in local history.


They include articles on jubilant VE Day celebrations in Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill, along with coverage of Winston Churchill's infamous post-war election rally at Walthamstow Stadium during which he was booed by the crowd.


The Woodford Guardian noted with astonishment that people marked VE Day by "dancing in the open" in Buckhurst Hill - some to as late as 2am - while Princes Road and Kinds Road were "lavishly be-flagged".


The edition, published 68 years ago this week on Friday May 11, noted how there was a “deep sense of thankfulness that the ordeal [of war] is over”.


There are also tales of everyday village life and the occasional violent crime - such as a raid on the Wanstead and Woodford Food Office where a gang of three masked men bound and gagged staff before stealing ration books.


Another big story was the local council in Woodford coming in for harsh criticism in August 1945 – from those including the 'Woodford Community Party' – for perceived failures to put pressure on the government to help resolve a dispute over bomb damage repairs in the area.


Adverts too provide an interesting insight. Walthamstow-based flour company Leytonia features prominently, as does Bearmans department store in Leytonstone.


And of particular note to those in Waltham Forest - which is currently languishing without a cinema - are listings for films at picturehouses including The Savoy in Leyton, Kings at the Bakers Arms, the Regal in Highams Park, the Odeon in Chingford and The Granada in Walthamstow.


The shop's deputy manager Jane Kemp said: "They are amazing, If I had time I would sit down and read them all day.


"Sometimes when we get donations of furniture we discovered old papers lining the drawers and things like that, which can be interesting, but we've never had anything like this.


"One big noticeable difference to newspapers today is there are a lot more job adverts. And there's a few mentions and pictures of Winston Churchill showing how important he was to people in the area then."


Visit www.sfh.org.uk for more information on Saint Francis Hospice.