75th Anniversary of VE Day
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe, or VE, Day. The bank holiday has been moved to Friday 8 May to match the date of the first VE Day, so that the nation can commemorate this anniversary together.
The first VE Day was a celebration of the end of war in Europe. It was a brief pause in the difficult and challenging times before getting back to the task of rebuilding the country.
VE Day is also a time of remembrance. It is about paying tribute to the service and sacrifice of the entire Second World War generation, from British, Commonwealth and Allied Forces to evacuees and those who served on the home front.
Of course, many of the national and local events linked to VE Day have been cancelled or postponed, but we still want to mark this national event together. As we face some challenging times as a country, now more than ever it is important to unite in recognition of service to the nation, just as communities did 75 years ago.
We are proposing a ‘Street Party at Home’. Street parties were a feature of the very first VE Day and have been a part of national commemorations ever since. We can’t have a ‘street party’ this year, but we can create our very own ‘Street Party at Home’. Now is the time to bake a cake, raise a glass, decorate your house, wave a flag and join together with our community in commemorating this significant event.
We felt that this is a great opportunity for the Pinner Park community to be connected and together. We’d love you to send in your photographs – we’ll create a video compilation of our Pinner Park ‘Street Party at Home’. Send one or two pics (we can't cope with more!) to [email protected]
Scroll down for more learning and ideas to try at home.
The first VE Day was a celebration of the end of war in Europe. It was a brief pause in the difficult and challenging times before getting back to the task of rebuilding the country.
VE Day is also a time of remembrance. It is about paying tribute to the service and sacrifice of the entire Second World War generation, from British, Commonwealth and Allied Forces to evacuees and those who served on the home front.
Of course, many of the national and local events linked to VE Day have been cancelled or postponed, but we still want to mark this national event together. As we face some challenging times as a country, now more than ever it is important to unite in recognition of service to the nation, just as communities did 75 years ago.
We are proposing a ‘Street Party at Home’. Street parties were a feature of the very first VE Day and have been a part of national commemorations ever since. We can’t have a ‘street party’ this year, but we can create our very own ‘Street Party at Home’. Now is the time to bake a cake, raise a glass, decorate your house, wave a flag and join together with our community in commemorating this significant event.
We felt that this is a great opportunity for the Pinner Park community to be connected and together. We’d love you to send in your photographs – we’ll create a video compilation of our Pinner Park ‘Street Party at Home’. Send one or two pics (we can't cope with more!) to [email protected]
Scroll down for more learning and ideas to try at home.
Keep Calm and Carry On - A Song for VE Day
Learning about VE Day and activities to try:
BBC Teach Video Clip - VE Day: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/history-ks2-ve-day/z7xtmfr
BBC Newsround - What is VE Day: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/48201749
VE Day 75 resources created by author, Andrew Powell-Thomas: https://andrewpowellthomascouk.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/ve_day_resources_andrew_powell-thomas.pdf
Make your own bunting: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4TrqYDyf4PMdLypxzyTwGDg/great-british-bunting
The Big Neighourhood VE Day Festival at home:
https://www.artventurers.co.uk/the-big-neighbourhood-v-e-day-family-festival/?fbclid=IwAR0cYUlj6vqdHhy8yQdeONIZ5hlQe2jWCFKqEqBW2bedZ24pDtuRhJ8OAqk
VE Day Craft Ideas: https://www.bakerross.co.uk/craft-ideas/category/teachers/occasions-teachers/ve-day-occasions-teachers/
English Heritage - Lots of ideas and a pack to download: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/ve-day/
BBC Street Party Recipes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/street_party
VE Day Website - Ideas for getting involved: ve-vjday75.gov.uk/get-involved//
BBC Teach Video Clip - VE Day: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/history-ks2-ve-day/z7xtmfr
BBC Newsround - What is VE Day: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/48201749
VE Day 75 resources created by author, Andrew Powell-Thomas: https://andrewpowellthomascouk.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/ve_day_resources_andrew_powell-thomas.pdf
Make your own bunting: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4TrqYDyf4PMdLypxzyTwGDg/great-british-bunting
The Big Neighourhood VE Day Festival at home:
https://www.artventurers.co.uk/the-big-neighbourhood-v-e-day-family-festival/?fbclid=IwAR0cYUlj6vqdHhy8yQdeONIZ5hlQe2jWCFKqEqBW2bedZ24pDtuRhJ8OAqk
VE Day Craft Ideas: https://www.bakerross.co.uk/craft-ideas/category/teachers/occasions-teachers/ve-day-occasions-teachers/
English Heritage - Lots of ideas and a pack to download: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/ve-day/
BBC Street Party Recipes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/street_party
VE Day Website - Ideas for getting involved: ve-vjday75.gov.uk/get-involved//
