Islanders are being invited to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day — the day the guns fell silent at the end of war in Europe — from their homes.
To commemorate this unforgettable moment in the nation’s history, the Isle of Wight Council is supporting the national series of activities that people can take part in without leaving the house — or even the sofa.
This will allow people to mark the occasion while still following national rules on social distancing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Council chairman, Councillor George Cameron said:
“I hope this day can be a moment of shared celebration — and a reminder that, even in these dark days, we know that lighter times will return again.”
The Royal British Legion (RBL) has organised a programme of events to help families mark the spectacle responsibly. It includes a national moment of reflection and Remembrance at 11:00 on Friday 8th May, not only in recognition of the service and sacrifice of the Second World War generation, but also to reflect on the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on so many lives across the world.
Following the silence, the RBL is hosting a VE Day live stream, sharing stories and memories from those who served and sacrificed during the war.
Hosted by TV presenter Sonali Shah, the programme will feature contributions from social historian Julie Summers and cook and influencer Melissa Helmsley. The stream will be live from 11:15 on the RBL website.
Later in the day residents are encouraged to take part in a UK-wide rendition of Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’ at 21:00. BBC One will feature the singalong as part of its VE Day 75 evening broadcast.
Other festivities include:
- The ‘Great British Bunting’ — a BBC Local Radio initiative encouraging residents to decorate their windows with homemade bunting made from cereal boxes, string, ribbon, sweet wrappers or whatever you can find. Discover more here.
- A nationwide ‘toast to the heroes’ at 15:00 on Friday 8th May.
As part of the commemorations, the Isle of Wight Council is also on the hunt for Isle of Wight VE Day photos, memories, pictures — anything that you have from May 1945 along with photos from your 2020 ‘at home’ celebrations.
Email your contributions to [email protected] or tag the Council in your #VEDay75 posts on social media.
Councillor Cameron added:
“Please don’t forget to share with us photos of your VE Day celebrations. We want to see how you’re marking the anniversary responsibly from your home or garden.”
While the council hopes people will find ways of celebrating together online, they are keen to stress the importance of continuing to follow social distancing guidelines.
This is a great opportunity to celebrate and thank the Heroes of yesterday who gave their everything for what we have today.
I know that some may struggle to make the connection as we forget the bad times of so many years ago, especially as that generation slowly slips into history. But of course we are now in our own unprecedented times since WWII, except this time we are fighting an unseen enemy, an enemy that is on our very doorstep, and one that is indiscriminate.
We have all heard of Captain Tom Moore who raised a staggering amount for the NHS; he was one of those heroes.
If you are not sure who you are raising a glass to or making some noise for, look to Captain Tom as inspiration. Do it for him, do it for the people who stood next to him, do for the people who on the battlefields, in the air and at sea, gave their all. Do it for the people who made Britain succeed, the keyworkers, who just like today did so much to see victory prevail.
Friday 3pm – Come to your gate or roadside, raise your glass to the Heroes of WWII and then make some nose for a couple of minutes to celebrate the victory as they did 75 years ago.
I still remember, as a very small boy, being in the crowd outside Buckingham Palance chanting “We want the King”, until the King, Queen and the two Princesses appeared on the balcony; and the great cheers that greeted them.
What a great memory to have, thanks for sharing Young Mike!
ISLAND ECHO
can we send our VE day pictures in to you to post on here?
My wife and i will all so be dressing up i have WW2 full battle dress and my wife has cc41 dress and shoes handbag and so on