Deborah Collcutt

IN LESS than a week, Bruno Peek should have been taking his place alongside massed ranks of dignitaries, heads of state and, of course, Her Majesty The Queen to commemorate the moment 75 years ago when the guns fell silent across Europe, marking the end of nearly six years of war. Having watched a procession of Second World War veterans down The Mall in London, enjoyed a service at Westminster Abbey, and watched a Battle of Britain memorial flight above Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s pageantmaster would have been reflecting on a job well done.

As street parties got underway across the country – on a Bank Holiday especially designated for the occasion – Bruno would have made the short journey from his seat on Horse Guards Parade to the Royal Albert Hall for the Armed Forces charity VE Day Concert.

The evening extravaganza would have marked the culmination of 18 months of hard work for the loyal servant who has organised major commemorative events for the Royal Family for three decades.

Instead Bruno will be at home in Great Yarmouth, probably doing a spot of gardening. “I feel absolutely gutted,” says Bruno quietly. “It is the first time in 38 years of doing this job that I’ve had an event shelved. I feel so sorry for the thousands of people around the country who have been planning forVE Day 75.”

There is a moment’s silence before he says stoically: “But I am not sitting here feeling sorry for myself. There are people dying daily from coronavirus so I will take it on the chin and get on with it.”

What IS still happening and is a source of great delight to Bruno is a national toast by

‘I feel absolutely gutted – it is the first time in 38 years of doing this job I’ve had an event shelved’

Dame Joan Collins. “Her agent called me and said Joan would be in London on VE Day and could she get involved? I wanted to recognise the role played by women during the war while the men were away fighting so Dame Joan is raising a toast on their behalf.”

Bruno had organised for four buglers to sound the Last Post on top of the highest peaks in each of the four nations of the United Kingdom, Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis, Slieve Donard and Mount Snowdon, at 3pm – when Winston Churchill announced on May 8 1945 that war in Europe was over.At the same time, in every city or town from the Channel Islands to the north of Scotland, four pipers were to play Battles O’er. At 7pm, all churches across the land would ring out for peace as a finale.

NOW, with churches closed and the world in lockdown, more than 1,000 pipers and buglers in 27 countries around the globe will play from the safety of their homes in a coordinated virtual commemoration, starting in New Zealand.

Bruno’s rise from Norfolk welder to Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order – an honour established by Queen Victoria which recognises distinguished personal service to the Royal Family and was a gift from the Queen after Bruno’s involvement with her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012 – is as meteoric as one of his pyrotechnic displays.

After the hugely successful concert in front of Buckingham Palace, watched by millions around the world, the Queen lit a national beacon on the Mall with Bruno holding a cushion carrying her crown at her side. Standing in front of rows of celebrities, from Tom Jones to Elton John and Paul McCartney,

Bruno looked out over the hundreds of thousands who crowded into the capital that night to celebrate alongside Her Majesty.

“That night was one of the most memorable times of my life. I can remember looking at the Queen and I could see my mum,” says Bruno. “She had similarities to the Queen in looks, and also her beliefs. My mum was a great Christian like Her Majesty and when I handed the torch to the Queen I saw my mum. I felt so chuffed but I also felt real sadness because Mum had died the year before. I wish she had been there – it was one of the most amazing moments, walking on stage with the Queen, with those stars behind, all singing the national anthem.” Bruno, now 68, never set out to be a pageantmaster – it just happened. A role dating back centuries, the holder traditionally organised parties and events for the Royal Family and aristocracy. “I always look at it as being a ringmaster – you’re in control of everything that’s going on but with an historic basis,” says Bruno. While he is not in service to the Queen, Bruno has organised numerous royal events over the years, but is unfailingly modest. “I have had some amazing moments with Her Majesty and we have exchanged words, but I can’t

VE DAY TOAST: Dame Joan Collins will raise glass to war women