Memorials at the ready: the nation celebrates VE Day

As the nation celebrates the 80th anniversary of VE Day – the ending of the Second World War in Europe – many will be joining in bell ringing and the singing of the patriotic anthem I Vow to Thee My Country. The four days of celebration from 5-8 May mark the culmination of months of preparations, and for many a race against time to complete the cleaning and restoration of local and even national war memorials.

Local councils across the country have been commissioning a small army of specialist cleaning operatives to ensure their memorials are fit to reflect the significance of the occasion, including the Cenotaph in Ilkeston, Derbyshire (pictured).

The celebrations themselves are being co-ordinated nationally by VE DAY 80, an organisation with the handle #VEHAPPY. Its Pageantmaster Bruno Peek CVO OBE OPR offered this exhortation: “VE Day 80 is not only a tribute to those who fought for the freedom we all enjoy today, but also a powerful reminder of the resilience and unity that have defined our country ever since.”

Although VE Day itself is not a public holiday, its proximity to the existing Bank Holiday on 5 May has led to the intervening days being included in the celebrations. They range from special prices at a circus in London to bell ringers in Ramsbottom, Lancashire; pipers skirling a special tune, Celebratum, in the morning to beacons and Lamp Lights of Peace in the evening. Plus, there are street parties being held across the land.

The VE DAY 80 website at ve80.com features a bewildering range of efforts being made by individuals, families, societies and firms to add their voices to the cause of peace.

After the celebrations and reflections of VE Day itself, the task to restore and clean the myriad war memorials across the country continues and is likely to do so for some considerable time. Hopefully, the commemoration will act as a spur to other custodians – whether public or private, such as the various industry memorials – to make the extra effort to add their memorial to the list of those brought back to their best.

The War Memorials Trust offers grants for the restoration of memorials and administers a database of memorials supplied by members of the public.

• To find out more about grants available and to get involved in the trust’s work visit www.warmemorials.org.