Lindy hop dancing, mugs of hot, sweet tea, evacuees and the sounds of Vera Lynn sounded out at the New Tavern Fort over the weekend.

The Fort in the Forties event allowed visitors to view military and vintage vehicles alongside living history displays including children dressed as evacuees and well-dressed spivs in their finest hats and spats.

The event was organised by Thames Defence Heritage, a voluntary organisation formed in 2000, which also held a best dressed evacuee competition and vintage stalls alongside tours of the fort itself.

Music was performed by the Swingtime Sweethearts who sang the hits of hits of Vera Lynn, The Andrews Sisters, Anne Shelton, Ella Fitzgerald and Glenn Miller.

New Tavern Fort is the remains of an 18th century fort built to defend the Thames against the threat of a naval attack from France.

It was re-armed in 1904 and guns from the period are now on display. There are also full size reconstructions of scenes from Gravesend during the Second World War.

For a full page of pictures, see today's Gravesend Messenger.