View source for Blitz and Pieces

{{short description|Military museum in Great Yarmouth, England}}
{{Infobox museum
| name            = Blitz and Pieces
| image           = Blitz and Pieces logo.jpg
| imagesize       = 150
| caption         = 
| location        = [[w:Ormesby St Margaret with Scratby|Scratby]], [[w:Great Yarmouth|Great Yarmouth]] 
| established     = 
| type            = [[w:Home front|Home Front]] and ''[[Dad's Army]]''
| owner           = Darren Stride
| website         = http://www.blitzandpiecesuk.com/
}}

'''Blitz and Pieces''' is a museum in [[w:Ormesby St Margaret with Scratby|Scratby]] in [[w:Great Yarmouth|Great Yarmouth]], England, owned and operated by Darren Stride.  Based on the British [[w:Home front|Home Front]] during [[w:World War II]] and the [[w:BBC|BBC]] comedy ''[[Dad's Army]]'', the museum is housed in a 1940s prefabricated building, a 1930s wooden military hut and a variety of large [[w:shed|shed]]s. In 2014 the museum was a finalist in [[w:Channel 4|Channel 4]]'s ''[[w:George Clarke's Amazing Spaces|George Clarke's Amazing Spaces]]: Shed of the Year'' series.<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/shed-of-the-year-finalists-revealed 'Shed of The Year finalists revealed'] - [[w:Channel 4|Channel 4]] Press Release - 16 July 2014</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150705203623/http://www.independent.co.uk/property/shed-of-the-year-2014-finalists-9607591.html?action=gallery&ino=9 'Shed of the Year' 2014 Finalists] - ''[[w:The Independent|The Independent]]''</ref> The museum is open to the public by appointment.

==Origins of the museum==
[[File:Blitz and Pieces Office.jpg|thumb|right|180px|A section of [[Captain Mainwaring]]'s office]]
Stride's interest in the 1940s began as a small boy when he watched repeats of the [[w:BBC|BBC]] comedy ''[[Dad's Army]]'' with his late grandfather, John Fenton, who had served as a private in the real [[w:Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment|Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment]] during [[w:World War II|World War II]], the regiment that the [[w:Home Guard (United Kingdom)|Home Guard]] platoon in ''Dad's Army'' was based on. Before his death in 2001 he gave his grandson his service medals, which started the collection.<ref>[http://metro.co.uk/2011/06/13/teen-builds-dads-army-shrine-in-shed-41280/  'Teen builds Dad’s Army shrine in shed'] - ''[[w:Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]'' - 13 June 2011</ref>

Many of the items in the collection were donated by members of the public or by visitors to the museum. The display in the period chemist's shop was acquired from the Yesterday's World attraction in [[w:Great Yarmouth|Great Yarmouth]] following its closure in 2014.

==Blitz Street==
The museum is housed along 'Blitz Street', and is based on the British [[w:Home front|Home Front]] during [[w:World War II|World War II]]; it features two period shops including a chemist's and a grocer's, a fully equipped 1940s kitchen and living room, an [[w:Anderson shelter|Anderson shelter]] complete with contents, a display of World War II uniforms, helmets and other artifacts, and a reconstruction of [[Captain Mainwaring]]'s church hall office from ''[[Dad's Army]]''.

Captain Mainwaring's office is housed in a 1930s [[w:beach hut|beach hut]] requisitioned by the military during World War II and features several authentic [[w:Home Guard (United Kingdom)|Home Guard]] uniforms, a screen-used uniform and [[w:Webbing equipment|webbing]] from ''Dad's Army'', a collection of ''Dad's Army'' memorabilia including original props such as half of the string used during filming of [[The Deadly Attachment]]. This was donated by [[w:David Croft (TV producer)|David Croft]]; the other half is in the collection of [[Jimmy Perry]].

In 2014 ''Blitz and Pieces'' was a finalist in Cuprinol's 'Shed of the Year' competition, broadcast by [[w:Channel 4|Channel 4]].<ref>[http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/488945/Amazing-Shed-of-the-Year-nominees 'A giant teapot and a mini pub: This year's amazing Shed of the Year nominees'] - ''[[w:Daily Express|Daily Express]]'' - 15 July 2014</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Blitz and Pieces Office 1.jpg|Corner of [[Captain Mainwaring]]'s office
File:Blitz and Pieces Grocer .JPG|Corner of the grocer's shop
File:Blitz Street House.jpg|A view of the 1940s living room
File:Blitz and Pieces Kitchen.jpg|A view of the 1940s kitchen
File:Blitz Street Anderson.JPG|The [[Anderson shelter]] display
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.blitzandpiecesuk.com/ ''Blitz and Pieces'' Official Website]
{{Dad's Army}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blitz and Pieces}}
[[Category:Dad's Army]]
[[Category:Great Yarmouth]]
[[Category:Museums in Norfolk]]
[[Category:History museums in Norfolk]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Norfolk]]
[[Category:World War II museums in the United Kingdom]]