VE Day anniversary celebration

Join us to celebrate VE Day on Friday 8th May. Help us to remember the enormous sacrifices that were made both abroad and at home 75 years ago.

A poster advertising a 'host your own street party' event to commemorate VE Day, on 8 May 2020. It encourages you to get dressed in your finest attire, raise a glass at 3pm, and take part in the The Nation's Toast to commemorate the heroes of World War 2.

VE Day celebration poster

Our original plan to host one of the largest parties may not be able to go ahead due to social distancing. However, Lawley and Overdale Parish Council and Bournville Village Trust Stewardship Services in Lawley Village, would still like to mark this very special occasion with you.

At 11am, the nation will be observing a two-minute silence to remember the veterans. You can do this however you see fit. You might wish to stand by your window, or step outside onto the street, as the Royal British Legion suggests.

Put on your finest attire and take part in the nation’s Toast to the Heroes of WW2 event at 3pm on the 8th May. Choose a refreshment of your choice from the safety of your own home, and toast those who gave so much to ensure we can all enjoy and share the freedom we have today.

We also have lots for you and your families to get involved in.

You can download the pack below which is full of activities to entertain your children, along with ideas on how to have your own party 1940’s style!

We also have a quiz for both adults and kids to download, along with answer sheets – no cheating! And if you’re looking for inspiration for your party, we’ve dug up some 1940s party food recipes. You can find all of these in the downloads section below.

Don’t forget to send us your photos, videos and posts. You can do this in several ways:

We really would love to see you all having fun and enjoying yourselves!

Royal British Legion activities

Following the two-minute silence at 11am, the Royal British Legion is hosting a VE Day livestream, sharing stories and memories from those who served and sacrificed during the Second World 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 11:15am on the Royal British Legion’s website.

Later in the day, members of the public are encouraged to enjoy a moment of celebration and thanksgiving by taking part in a UK-wide rendition of Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’ at 9pm. BBC One will feature the singalong as part of its VE Day 75 evening broadcast.

Lyrics for ‘We’ll Meet Again’ are available on The Royal British Legion website.

Downloads

You may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader to open some of these files.

See also