Melton VE Day celebrations to be held online

A major celebration of that momentous time - May 8, 1945 - had been planned in the town centre and street parties were also being organised but government restrictions to limit the spread of Covid-19 mean they can no longer go ahead.

However, organisers are instead holding events online and urging local people to follow them and get involved on the day by taking part in the community applause.

The ‘40s weekend Melton Mowbray’ Facebook page is hosting a live celebration including history talks, music from the era, inspirational speeches and ceremonial salutes.

Vintage singers, May Blossom and The Blighty Belles, will performing lives sets between 11am and 1.45pm and the Polish Heritage Academy will give a presentation on the important role played by Poles during the war.

Speeches made on VE Day by King George VI and Prime Minister Winston Churchill will be shown before bagpipes are played by Syd Charles and the applause is held at 3pm.

The Last Post will be sounded by Sy Prior and then a two-minute silence held to commemorate those who gave their lives in the war.

The event can be followed at www.facebook.com/40s-weekend-Melton-Mowbray-2205596236417302 for those who wish to do so.

Melton military historian Penny Burton is also organising an online VE Day party on Friday and encouraging people to join in with the 3pm clap for veterans.

She has been selling party packs on her website both locally and across the country and will be broadcasting her virtual street party from 10am, with a baking demonstration, a costume parade, interviews with war veterans and a 1940s’ sing-a-long.

Penny said: “We are getting people to dress up, decorate their houses and streets and come out at 3pm to do a clap for veterans.

“Where I live off Burton Road we have several streets all getting involved, and there are some in the Scalford Road area too.”

Go to www.pennyguides.co.uk for more details on this event.

Melton Borough Council has launched a ‘best dressed window’ competition, encouraging residents to decorate their homes in red, white and blue with bunting and posters, with a £50 voucher up for grabs for the best display.

Councillor Alan Pearson, portfolio holder for people and communities and responsible for the Armed Forces Covenant, said: “In these unprecedented times the celebrations for VE Day have had to be scaled back with street parties and events cancelled.

“The message remains to stay at home and stay safe but to still mark the occasion.

“We are encouraging people to decorate their windows and take part in some of the national activities taking place on Friday from home.

“People can post photos of their decorated windows on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #MeltonVE75 or on Melton Borough Council’s Facebook page. “We hope residents will enjoy looking out for decorated windows amongst the rainbows during their daily exercise.”

The council is also keen to commemorate local people who contributed to the Second World War effort by asking developers of planned new housing in the borough to name streets or roads after them.

Councillor Pearson added: “We are requesting short stories from local people about their relatives who contributed to the war and are or were Melton residents either during the war or after it.

“If you have a photograph of the person in their uniform then we would love to receive these as an accompaniment to your story.

“The council will collect a bank of names which will be passed onto developers as and when their roads or streets are ready for naming.”

Email any stories and photos of individuals for suggested street names to [email protected] before May 17 and entries will be posted on the council website and social media pages.

To enter the ‘best dressed window’ competition, residents are asked to post photos on social media before Sunday evening (May 10).