May 8th is VE Day, celebrating the end of the war in Europe on May 8th 1945. In France it is a national and public holiday, and other countries celebrate it too, even with events in Germany celebrating those who opposed Nazism. Russia and some other countries celebrate Victory Day on 9th May. We had the early May bank holiday moved to May 8th for the 50th and 75 anniversaries in 1995 and 2020, but otherwise it is not hugely observed.
But 2005 was the 60th anniversary, and VE Day fell on a Sunday, and there were events taking place on both Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th which I photographed. Here I’ll post some pictures and what I posted about the events in 2005.
VE Day Commemorated – Ilford, 7 May, 2005
60 Years ago, my view of the world was dark, wet and warm and I was almost certainly unaware of what was happening outside, and I think my mother’s part in the VE day celebrations will have been fairly muted and sedentary, though I’m sure both she and my father (the first war had taken him to Germany, but this one only got his as far as Potters Bar on his bike to inspect the bees) shared the feelings of the nation.
I wanted to avoid the large stage-managed media events. Couldn’t stand the thought of Vera Lynn and Cliff Richard, or the Prince Of Wales. So I went to Ilford to see how the people in Redbridge were commemorating the occasion.
A couple of small groups playing mainly forties jazz tunes, some dancing, kids and oldies having fun, balloons, uniformed ‘statues’, free tea, a few veterans and a small but informative museum display made a pleasant afternoon in the high street.
more pictures on My London Diary.
VE Day Parade – Bromley, 8th May 2005
Sunday afternoon I attended a more formal event in Bromley, which seems to have more uniformed organisations than any other London borough, and the forces were out in force. Marching behind the bagpipes came the veterans, most looking surprisingly well despite their age, and with medals to show for their service around the world. One showed me his Russian medal for service in the Baltic, others had been in the far east as well as Africa and Europe.
The parade to Norman Park was joined by more veterans and supporters in buses, as well as a number of vintage vehicles, civil and military. At the park, the mayor, the bishop and a team of other clergy joined up for a drumhead service in a large tented area, holding well over a thousand people.
A few of the veterans felt this was one church parade too many and like me made for the beer tent. Perhaps like me they had also called in to the Area of Remembrance on the way. There was an impressive dignity about the veterans and the event seemed a moving tribute to them and their comrades who died.
more pictures on My London Diary.