VE DAY – 75th Anniversary (2020)
The current Covid-19 pandemic has forced the cancellations of many local events to celebrate the
75th VE Day Anniversary
so we are using this page to record the event.
Unfortunately we don’t have access to the physical records so this page contains mainly images.
A truck of revellers passing through the Strand, London, 8 May 1945.
Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205021981
On 7 May 1945 Germany signed the formal act of surrender so ending the war in Europe. The next day celebrations broke out over most of the world to mark Victory in Europe. In the UK a public holiday was announced, known as VE Day, and people celebrated in various ways. Many held parties, danced and sang in the streets. Huge crowds gathered in cities and towns around the country. At the distance of 75 years it’s hard to imagine the effect the news had on morale as the celebrations must have had a bitter-sweet taste, since most people would have been mourning their loved ones lost as a result of the conflict, and worried about those still fighting the war in the Far East.
You can see our collection of WW2 articles, including the local people who died as a result of the war, here. Alternatively enter “VE Day” in either of our search functions – the magnifying glass in the green bar at the top of the page or using a Google site search.
Here are a few photographs of some of the local VE Day parties:
A VE Day party held on 8 May 1945 in the grounds of Epsom College .
Image courtesy of Janice Pond © 2020
A children’s tea party on the Island, Chestnut Avenue, celebrating Victory in Europe 12 May 1945
Image courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum
The Meadow Walk Party
Image courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum
The Derek Avenue party, taken by Bernard Alfieri
Image courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum
The Derek Avenue Party
Image courtesy of Cliff Ridpath ©2020
The Derek Avenue Party
Image courtesy of Cliff Ridpath ©2020
The Derek Avenue Party
Image courtesy of Cliff Ridpath ©2020
The Lower Court Road party
Image courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum
The Courtlands Drive and Bradford Drive party,
Courtesy of Mrs. S. Starling/Bourne Hall Museum
The Green Lanes Victory Party 1945
Image courtesy of Peter Conway © 2020
The little boy with the blue cross was the late Brian Conway, Peter’s brother
VE Day celebrations in Mavis Close, Stoneleigh.
Image courtesy of Vivien Danbury © 2020
VE Day celebrations in Sunnybank, Epsom 8 May 1945.
Image courtesy of Bentley Family Archive © 2020
Three photos of the Cunliffe Road Stay at Home VE Day 75 Party
Images courtesy of Peter Reed 08 May 2020
Two photos of the Woodcote Close Stay at Home VE Day 75 Party, 8 May 2020
(the second being a rolling performance of “We’ll meet again”)
Images courtesy of Roger Morgan