Don't panic Captain Mainwaring, war-time Britain will be completely covered at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse's annual Village at War event this weekend.

Don't panic Captain Mainwaring, war-time Britain will be completely covered at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse's annual Village at War event this weekend.

The museum is recreating life in the 1940s on August 30 and 31 - from having a go at “make do and mend”, or for the more energetic, a chance to join Timescape with music and dancing from the era.

The Home Guard will be out and about, checking ID papers, and the ferocious drill sergeant will be putting visitors through their paces in the courtyard.

Down on the farm, the Land Army girls will don their dungarees and headscarves to bring in the harvest and Tramps in Armour are set to create a communications HQ, to prepare for the D-Day invasion.

Guiding Norfolk will be on site too, recreating a Girl Guide camp from the 1940s and helping to run the village fete, serving afternoon tea and raising money for the war effort.

Captain Mainwaring's platoon, from the Dad's Army Museum, will be patrolling the main arena where the civilian and military vehicles will be on display.

Dig for Victory is the theme of an exhibition in the chapel, with objects from the museum's collections, displays from local gardeners, and information from the John Innes Centre on how Dig for Victory kept the Home Front fed.

Weather permitting, on Monday, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will be flying overhead.

The museum's 50 acre site will be open to explore as usual with everything from seeing the rare breeds on the farm, to letting off steam in the woodland adventure playground.

For further information telephone 01362 860563. Opening times are daily until November 1, 10am-5pm.

Admission is adults �8.10, concessions �6.90, children (4-16) �5.80. There are discounts for families and groups and free admission with a Norfolk Museums pass.