Today we hang out the Union Jack, dress up and sing patriotic songs – it VE Day! Unlike Russia, which celebrates Victory Day on 9th May, here it is commemorated on the 8th. It was on this day 75 years ago that Winston Churchill officially announced on the radio that Germany surrendered and the war came to an end in Europe. In preparation for festivities the government moved the bank holiday from 1 May to the 8th, but the grand celebrations never happened – we are all in lockdown… So, the country celebrates at home online. At 11 we watched the TV broadcast of the silent ceremony lead by Prince Charles and Camilla laying commemorative wreaths, followed by flypast over London by the Royal Air Force, looking forward to the Queen’s address later on today. In the evening the whole country will join in singing We’ll Meet Again by Dame Vera Lynn, which became a symbol of the nation’s spirit in war time, and also now, reflecting the mood the difficult times we live in.
