Bristol City Council has confirmed plans to mark VE Day despite the ongoing lockdown measures due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Although many of public events have been cancelled, there are still a number of ways people can remember and celebrate from the safety of their homes.
The council says residents will be allowed to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day the safety of their homes and gardens through footage being shared throughout the day on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Nextdoor.
Here's what will be happening on the day:
- 11:00am – two-minute national silence to remember the end of WWII in Europe.
- 2:55pm – Watch flag raising with Mayor Marvin Rees on College Green in Bristol.
- 3:00pm – Join us for the Nation’s Toast to the Heroes of WW II with the words “ To those who gave so much, we thank you”
- 6:55pm – Watch Bristol’s Cry for Peace Around the World with the Lord Mayor
- 9:00pm – Address by the Queen, followed by a national doorstep rendition of Dame Vera Lynn’s “We’ll Meet Again” (you can listen on your BBC Local Radio station).
People can also make their own bunting to display in their windows at home.
All you need is some paper, cereal boxes, string, ribbon, sweet wrappers, felt pens and poster paint.
According to the BBC, this is how you make your own VE Day bunting:
- Take an A4 piece of paper long ways up (portrait).
- Fold over about 2cm at the top.
- Fold the paper in half long ways.
- Draw a line diagonally from the outside of the paper at the top to the fold in the middle at the bottom.
- Cut along that line through both sides of the paper.
- Unfold your paper.
You then decorate the main triangle but leave the top strip blank before folding along the solid black line to make a flap.
You then put the flap over your string or ribbon and glue or tape the flap in place.
Leave a gap between each triangle and keep adding them until you’re done with a spare bit of string/ribbon on each end for hanging.
