Feel-good war-time tunes have captured the camaraderie of the 1940s and sparked memories for those who lived through those years.

Hits from the Blitz: We’ll Meet Again at the Apex in Bury St Edmunds yesterday afternoon proved incredibly popular, but was not completely sold out.

Musicians from the Five Star Swing band - including Simone Smith and Chris Smith junior - brought famous war-time tunes and ‘sing-a-long’ songs to life for the audience.

During the special Christmas matinee performance they recreated the vibrant sound of the Big Band era, with costumes for added authenticity.

The show featured songs from Glenn Miller, Vera Lynn and other forces’ favourites, with a repertoire including In The Mood, April in Paris, Old Devil Called Love and We’ll Meet Again.

Doreen Lodge, 84, from Bury, who was evacuated from London at the age of nine, said: “We enjoyed it very much. It brought back a lot of memories.”

Simone, from the latter days of the Ivy Benson Orchestra, and Chris, composer and arranger for Glenn Miller’s brother Herb Miller, have for the past seven years been successfully touring their shows and bands, including ‘Five Star Swing’, ‘The Big Band’ and now ‘Hits from the Blitz’.

Along with Dame Vera Lynn’s War Veteran’s Charity Balls, other clients have included Blenheim Palace, BBC television Children In Need and private functions for Phil Collins and Rod Stewart.