Organise special events for VE Day

JUDITH TONNER

Monklands residents are being encouraged to organise special events to commemorate this year’s 75th anniversary of VE Day.

Three days of events are taking place nationwide from May 8-10, and community groups, schools and individuals are asked to arrange local celebrations to mark the historic anniversary.

Airdrie North councillor David Cullen is North Lanarkshire’s armed forces and veterans’ champion and served in the army for 24 years, and is hoping that organisations across Airdrie and Coatbridge will get involved.

He told the Advertiser: “The 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day commemorates and celebrates one of the most important anniversaries in the history of the United Kingdom – May 8 will be 75 years since the guns fell silent at the end of the war in Europe.

“It’s fitting that communities in North Lanarkshire acknowledge that sacrifice and have an opportunity to support the events, taking part in what will be a full weekend of commemorating the sacrifice made.

“This occasion cannot pass without people being offered the chance to show their support for the efforts of not only the armed forces, but the public during World War II, and I hope that communities, schools and individuals will participate and mark this occasion in a fitting manner.”

Events on Friday, May 8, will begin with the sounding of the Last Post at 2.55pm from the highest peak in each of the four nations of the UK, followed by playing of bagpipe lament Battle’s O’er at thousands of locations.

There will then be a national toast, “raising a glass to the heroes of World War II”, in pubs across the country; while the evening will see the ringing of church bells across the UK and the reciting of a “cry for peace around the world”.

Remembrance and commemoration events will then continue across the weekend; May 8 is now a bank and local school holiday – instead of the preceding Monday – after the government announced last summer that the early May holiday was being moved to mark the anniversary.

Councillor Cullen added: “While there is a national focus and a national programme, it’s for local communities and groups to organise their VE Day events around this and register their intent to participate on the national website.

“Efforts will soon be underway to ensure that these local events are widely publicised and hopefully to compile a list of all those events planned in North Lanarkshire.”

See veday75.org to register participation and for more information.