Morecambe Town Council have announced plans for celebrating the anniversary of VE Day on 8 May this year, marking 80 years since the surrender of Germany during the Second World War and the end of the conflict in Europe.
Proceedings begin at Morecambe Town Hall at 11am with a flag-raising ceremony, organised in partnership with the Royal British Legion and Bay Veteran’s Association. The event will begin with the official VE Day Proclamation delivered by Town Crier Michael Glen and the raising of the official VE Day 80 flag above the Town Hall. Rev. Chris Krawiez of Morecambe Parish Church will then deliver a short sermon, which will be followed by a reception for veterans’ and their families in Morecambe Town Hall.
Then at The Platform at 7pm, Morecambe Brass Band perform a specially curated concert programme titled ‘And Then There Was Peace’. A variety of military marches, music from the movies, and musical moments for reflection will take audience members on a journey through three world-defining conflicts, from Wellington’s victory at Waterloo, through the muddy fields of Flanders, to celebrations on the streets at the end of the Second World War. The concert is free to attend, with tickets available from The Platform box office and online.
The day’s celebrations wrap up with a beacon-lighting at the bottom of the stone jetty between the Midland Hotel and the RNLI station. A specially designed beacon will be lit at 9.30pm simultaneously with hundreds of others in towns and villages throughout the country to the strains of bugle calls. The Last Post will be sounded in its traditional military capacity at approximately 10pm to mark the end of the day’s events.
Vintage enthusiasts are encouraged to attend events throughout the day in themed attire, to lend an air of nostalgia to the day’s proceedings.
Councillor Lee Bradbury, Chair of Morecambe’s Festivals, Sponsorships and Events Committee, said, ‘This is very much a day of celebration – celebration of the Allied victory over Nazi tyranny, of democracy over fascism, of freedom over subjugation. It’s also a celebration of community – 80 years ago communities come together in an unprecedented way in a shared outpouring of joy with the end of the war in sight. That’s why we were keen to create a variety of ways for people to come together to mark the day and work with some of our invaluable community organisations such as the local Royal British Legion branch, Bay Veteran’s Association, and Morecambe Brass Band Association to deliver the day’s events.’