VE Day 75th Celebrations at Home
The Town Council’s maintenance team have been busy planting out the beds in the memorial gardens in time for VE day tomorrow – go and take a look at their handiwork when you’re out for your permitted daily exercise and we’re sure you’ll agree they’ve done an amazing job!
In 1945, the long anticipated news that the Second World War had come to an end in Europe resulted in celebrations breaking out across the nation.
Unfortunately, due to the current Covid-19 crisis, families and communities across the nation will be unable to celebrate this 75th anniversary in quite the same way.
We may not be able to have the public celebrations many people planned, but we can still remember the heroes of WWII.
Please continue to observe government advice: stay home, stay safe, and protect our NHS. Celebrate in your own home, or garden if you have one, but please do not be tempted to visit relatives or friends.
The timetable for local & national events on this day are as follows:
- 11.00am – Go to the Thame Town Council Facebook Page for Live Streaming of the 2 minute silence. The recording can be viewed below:
- 11.15am – Royal British Legion Live Stream
- Noon onwards (and from the safety of your own home or garden): Create your own 1940’s tea party.
- 2.50pm – Watch Oxfordshire’s Lord Lieutenant’s message on Oxfordshire County Council’s Facebook page
- 3.00pm – Toast the nation
Watch Cllr Bretherton’s Toast (available from 3:15pm on Friday 8 May 2020)
- 6.00pm – Christchurch Cathedral Oxford: listen to a VE Day Evensong from this historic place of worship
- 9.00pm – Her Majesty the Queen will address the nation followed by a national singalong to Vera Lynn’s “We’ll meet again”
To help you plan your stay at home celebrations here are some ideas:
Let’s get crafty!
There are lots of templates on the internet for everything from bunting to VE Day thank you cards. The VE-VJ Day 75 toolkit also has templates, including thank you cards and posters to colour in and place in your windows.
Dance like it’s 1945!
The Lindy Hop was all the rage in the 1940s. It’s a swing dance that originated in New York in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It gained popularity in the UK in the 1940s thanks to the American servicemen stationed here during the Second World War.
Have a look at these instructions from English Heritage or see some great videos on the internet of the professionals in action.
Do your hair and make up!
Many of us may have been skipping our make-up recently, and don’t even mention our hair! Well, Friday 8 May is a good day to dig out the lippy, curl your hair and put on your glad rags! Talk to your family or search the internet for hair, fashion and make-up ideas from the 1940’s.
Bletchley Park provide some instructions in their activity pack for the Victory Rolls hairstyle, named after the victory manoeuvre of fighter aircraft first seen during the Battle of Britain in 1940.
Order an afternoon tea!
You can also visit Thame Rewards Club for a list of local businesses who are offering VE Day treats.
Date posted: Tuesday 5 May 2020
Updated: Thursday 7 May 2020