VE Day 75th Anniversary

Save the date – Friday 8 May and Saturday 9 May 2020

Have you noticed that the early Bank Holiday in May has moved to a Friday in 2020; Friday 8 May? The reason is that the Government have moved the holiday to allow us to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe day on the exact day it took place.

‘When VE Day dawns on 8th May 2020 it will be 75 years since the guns fell silent at the end of the war in Europe. Years of carnage and destruction had come to an end and millions of people took to the streets to celebrate peace, mourn their loved ones and to hope for the future, but not forgetting those still in conflict.’

Tring is swinging into action with some plans for your diaries. On Friday 8 May the Memorial Garden are hosting an open day from 11am-3pm, including boats on the pond, the Halton RAF Voluntary Band, ukuleles, ice creams and a coffee van. It will be an ideal opportunity to bring a picnic and stay a while.

At precisely 2.55pm – to tie in with National events – there will be a two-minute silence at the War Memorial on Church Square, followed by a family-friendly commemoration service in St Peter and St Paul. The National plans include buglers, bagpipes and wreath laying and Tring will be following suit. After the service there will be Tring Brewery beer, a BBQ and music in the churchyard. Then at 6.55pm there will be a ‘Cry for Peace around the World’ led by the Town Crier, after which the church bells will ring out for peace at 7pm, as they will do all over the country.

Moving on to Saturday 9 May, FOTCH (The Friends of Tring Church Heritage) are holding their annual Family Fun Day from 11am to 3pm in and around the church. There will be lots of free family entertainment, including a special VE Teddy Flight attraction, organised by RAF Halton especially for FOTCH.

For more information please contact Vivianne Child for Friday 8 May (vivianne@tringtogether.org.uk) or Grahame Senior for Saturday 9 May (gsenior@seniorpartners.co.uk).