All the events happening in Preston to mark VE Day and VJ Day - 80 years on
Preston will stage a trio of special events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Frist, to mark VE [Victory in Europe] Day, a gathering will be held at the Flag Market on Thursday (8th May).
Starting at 8.45pm, it will feature speeches, performances from vintage singer Hattie Bee and music from Brindle Brass Band - before culminating in a commemorative beacon lighting at 9.30pm by the Mayor of Preston, Coun Philip Crowe. That will be followed by the National Anthem.
VJ Day, which marks the surrender of Japan and the true end of the Second World War will be commemorated on Friday 15th and Saturday 16th August.
On the Friday, the Mayor will lead the traditional commemoration ceremony for VJ Day, held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial in Preston Cemetery from 10am.
The event - to remember those ‘who gave their tomorrows so we could have our todays’ - has been held without fail every year since 1947, including when socially distanced at the height of the pandemic.
The following day, the public are invited to watch as history comes to life on Preston Flag Market, from 10am. Beginning with a military parade, residents have been told to expect a range of events and performances, workshops and vintage music that will transport them back in time with songs from the wartime period.
Preston City Council, which is arranging the commemorations, says they will be an opportunity to “pay tribute to the heroes of World World II and celebrate 80 years of courage, sacrifice, and resilience”.
Coun Mel Close, the authority’s Armed Forces Champion, said: "It’s important that we remember both VE Day and especially VJ Day, which marked the end of the Second World War, and the immense sacrifices made by our armed forces and their families.
“By commemorating these events in Preston, especially on the 80th anniversary…we honour those who gave so much.
“The VJ Day event on 16th August allows us to welcome more people to reflect, remember, and show their support."
Colonel David Waters, President of Lancashire Armed Forces Association, added: “It would be easier to generalise and talk about freedom and democracy, but in this last week, we’ve also had the anniversary of the liberation of Belsen Concentration Camp, and if that was to concentrate your mind on something, it’s about what people did lose in Europe through the occupation of the Germans - and so that in itself is a reason to celebrate VE Day.”