Hundreds Of VE Day Banners Made By North Walsham High School Students
North Walsham’s VE Day celebrations will be brightened by long strings of patriotic bunting – after students at the town’s high school contributed a home-made banner for the event.
A celebratory picnic will be held in North Walsham’s memorial Park on Sunday 10th May to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe on 8th May 1945, with families being encouraged to come together for an afternoon of food and festivities.
Organiser Jenny Melville approached North Walsham High School to ask students to help create bunting for the event, and the result will be several hundred banners, each one made by a student at the school.
The day has been designated a national day of celebration by the royal British Legion, with a service in Westminster Abbey and a parade for veterans in London. The legion has expressed the hopes that community halls, homes and public spaces will be filled with bunting and music to recreate VE Day.
NWHS head teacher Caroline Brooker said, “When Ms Melville approached us to help with bunting for the picnic in the park, we jumped at the chance, as it gave us an opportunity to discuss with our students what VE Day meant, and continues to mean 70 years later.
“Individual banners are overwhelmingly red, white and blue, and will make a splendid sight on the day of the picnic. It’s a great way of the whole school getting involved in an important North Walsham community event.”
The North Walsham VE Day picnic takes place on the afternoon of Sunday 10th May in the town’s Memorial Park. Families are invited to bring picnic blankets, food, drink and picnic chairs. Fancy dress in 1940s style is optional.
About VE Day
VE (‘Victory in Europe’) Day was declared as 8th May 1945, to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of Germany’s surrender, which had been signed the previous day in Reims, France.
Huge crowds gathered in London, and at 3pm Churchill made a radio broadcast, which was relayed over loudspeakers to those crowds. This was the signal for the start of celebrations, with street parties, bunting, dancing and fancy dress parades held all over the country.
The end of World War Two was actually signalled on VJ (‘Victory in Japan’) Day on 15th August 1945.