Trafford Council is asking residents to maintain social distancing and celebrate at home as the borough marks the 75th anniversary of VE Day over the coming bank holiday weekend.
With public events cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Council is encouraging people to commemorate the special day from their own homes, beginning at 11am with a national two minutes of remembrance to honour the service and sacrifice of the Second World War generation and reflect on the impact the Covid-19 epidemic.
The Mayor of Trafford, Cllr Rob Chilton, will be laying a wreath at Sale War Memorial to mark the occasion. Sue Wright Armed Forces Lead Officer at Trafford Council will also lay a wreath in the sunken garden in the grounds of Trafford Town Hall immediately following the two minute silence at 11am. She will be joined by Council Leader, Cllr Andrew Western and Armed Forces Champion Cllr Judith Lloyd.
The Council has also pulled together a range of ideas and resources to help residents mark the 75th anniversary at home. These include a Trafford Archives online exhibition 'All in it together' about the Second World War in the Trafford area, soundscapes from IWMN telling personal stories of life in wartime and details of key events taking place throughout the day, including an address from HM The Queen and a UK-wide toast to wartime heroes.
Cllr Andrew Western, Leader of Trafford Council said:
We are disappointed to not be able to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day as planned, but that doesn’t mean the day should pass without celebration and reflection, and we hope residents will find ways to commemorate the occasion safely within their own homes.
Whether it’s decorating homes and front gardens red, white and blue, listening to and watching historic speeches and events, cooking up a ‘rations dinner’ or joining in with the UK-wide rendition of ‘We’ll Meet Again’ at 9pm, there are many ways to get involved and remember the historic sacrifice and triumph of VE Day 1945.”
Posted on Tuesday 5th May 2020