Following the signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty on 28 June 1919, Lord Downham announced in London that the British Government had decided upon Saturday July 19 as the day for the national celebration of victory and peace^[1]. King George V subsequently held a Privy Council meeting at Buckingham Palace and a proclamation was signed appointing the day as a Bank Holiday and public holiday throughout the United Kingdom^[2]. Many beacons and bonfires were to be lit across the county on Peace Celebration night^[3] and those ex-servicemen who still had their unforms were permitted to wear them if they wanted to. Many communities held their own celebrations and, according to The Times, "Great Britain was beflagged from end to end, and there were everywhere illuminations and fireworks^[4]".

Separate events were held in Matlock, Matlock Bath, Scarthin, Starkholmes and Riber. Matlock Bath's Peace Celebrations Committee placed an advertisement in the Derby paper giving notice that the restaurants & business premises in Matlock Bath would be closed on July 19th and that intending visitors should make their arrangements accordingly^[5]. The village would have been very busy as both Matlock Bath's and Scarthin's demobbed soldiers and their wives could attend a lunch at the Albion Restaurant^[6].

Once the official lunch was over the programme arranged for Scarthin residents to enjoy, shown here, was slightly different from that for Matlock Bath's inhabitants. Scarthin's children were to assemble on the Promenade in Scarthin (see image below), whilst a general procession of Matlock Bath's inhabitants assembled at the Station Bridge at around the same time.

H. Biddulph [Harold?] was the secretary for the Scarthin festivities and W. E. Smith, a local stationer, printed the programme of events. Although the programme doesn't say so, Charles Beresford records that the main events for Scarthin residents took place on Cromford Meadows and the children's tea was held in the Mount Tabor Chapel^[6]. Matlock Bath and Scarthin Nick Urban District Council met the cost of celebrations for both communities out of the rates although they did not pay for the lunch, which had been financed by donations from the residents^[6].

There are two reports about Masson Mill and Matlock Bath. See Matlock Bath & Scarthin Newspaper Cuttings, 1919.

References:

^[1] "Derby Daily Telegraph", Tuesday 01 July 1919.
^[2] "Derby Daily Telegraph", Saturday 12 July 1919.
^[3] Letter from Frederic C Arkwright, "Derby Daily Telegraph", Wednesday 9 July 1919. He requested that all local committees should inform the county hon sec so that he could inform the National committee for the official record.
^[4] "The Times", Monday, 21 Jul, 1919.
^[5] "Derby Daily Telegraph", Thursday 17 July 1919.
^[6] Beresford, Charles (2007) "The Bath at War, A Derbyshire Community and the Great War". Country Books/Ashridge Press. ISBN 978 1 901214 91 8. CB records the Matlock Bath servicemen's lunch was at noon, so the same time as that held for the Scarthin men.