Devon and Cornwall mark 80th anniversary of VE Day

Eve Watson
BBC News, South West
BBC A drone shot of a previous VE Day celebration with tables lined up the street with union jack flags on the tables and hundreds of people milling about.BBC
It will be 80 years since the announcement of the end of the war in Europe at exactly 15:00 BST

People in Devon and Cornwall are marking the 80th anniversary since the end of World War Two in Europe.

On 8 May 1945 at exactly 15:00 BST, Sir Winston Churchill took to the radio waves to announce Nazi Germany's surrender.

The date is known as VE Day, or Victory in Europe Day, and this year marks 80 years since the announcement.

A number of events and celebrations are planned across the counties - including two minutes of silence, concerts and bell ringing. Parades, marches and wreath-laying are also due to take place.

Marches and wreath-laying

In Plymouth at 11:30 there will be a flag raising at the Belvedere and gun salute from the Citadel, followed by a parade on Plymouth Hoe.

In Brixham, there will be a parade at 10:45 to Brixham War Memorial, where a wreath-laying ceremony will take place. There will then be a march to Fore Street at 12:00.

In Truro there will be a wreath-laying service at the war memorial on Boscawen Street at 11:00.

In St Ives there will be a wreath-laying with representatives from the St Ives Royal British Legion, again at 11:00.

Live music and concerts

From 11:00 there will be live music on Plymouth Hoe, before an evening concert at 17:30.

In Okehampton, there will be vintage music throughout the day from artists Terrie-May Nightingale and Jive Junction.

There is also set to be live performances from local musicians and choirs at Pendennis Castle in Falmouth after 16:30.

Bell ringing and beacon lighting

A chorus of bells will toll from cathedrals and churches across the country at 18:30, followed by beacon lighting events in a nationwide event at 21:30.

There is set to be bell ringing at Truro Cathedral, as well as other churches in the area, and at 21:30 the beacon will be lit at Truro Cathedral.

In St Austell, St Paul's Church in Charlestown and St Levan's in Higher Porthpean will ring a peal of bells to mark the occasion.

In Falmouth, a beacon will be lit at Pendennis Castle.

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