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    VE Day – Friday 8 May

    Celebrate VE Day 75 at home

    Due to the coronavirus pandemic, community celebrations that were due to take place on the bank holiday weekend (8-10 May) to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day have had to be cancelled.

    Just because these celebrations are no longer taking place doesn’t mean that we can’t all mark this momentous day in other ways from the safety of our own homes.

    Whatever your plans, please follow all the government’s guidelines to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. You can find more advice and local information on our dedicated coronavirus page.

    Schedule for Friday 8 May the 75th Anniversary of VE Day:

    • A two minutes silence at 11am
    • At 2.55pm a special video will be broadcast across our social media pages of lone pipers playing the lament Battle’s O’er and a piece of music specially commissioned to mark VE Day 75
    • A toast to the nation will take place at 3pm, please raise your own toast by saying the following words “To those who gave so much, we thank you.”
    • From 3pm a special service will be broadcast on Bradford Cathedral’s You Tube channel

    The Queen’s national address will be broadcast on BBC One at 9pm and people are being encouraged to join the nation in singing the Dame Vera Lynn song ‘We’ll Meet Again’ following this.

    How you and your family can join in and celebrate from home

    We have compiled the following ideas and resources to help you to hold your own celebrations at home and also to help people to reflect on the enormous sacrifice, courage and determination of people from all walks of life and backgrounds who saw us through.

    Ways to join in and celebrate

    Discover and share your history

    Ideas for children

    • Take part in Dan Snow’s creative challenge to think about how you would tell the story of VE Day today
    • Listen to Katy Parker and The House That Cried read by author Margaret Mulligan, a story set in WW2 for families with children from 9 to 12 years. Text and activity sheets to accompany the story.  Check under the History section
    • In the spirit of make-do-and-mend you could make bunting from old clothes, magazines, scrap paper or cardboard to decorate your windows / fence / door / kitchen
    • Learn and sing some WW2 songs to sing Pack up your troubles, We’ll meet again
    • Royal British Legion has developed teaching resources for Key stage 2 & 3 and for home schooling