Weymouth Town Council Events to Commemorate 80th Anniversary of VE Day 

A beacon lighting, a beach concert, and an array of community events have been organised to mark the 80^th anniversary of VE Day in the town, Weymouth Town Council has confirmed.

The range of events to mark the 80-year anniversary since the end of World War II in Europe include:

Thursday 8^th May

From 9pm at the Jubilee Clock on Weymouth Seafront the Weymouth Branch of The Royal British Legion will hold a short service. A beacon lighting ceremony which starts at 9.20pm will be hosted by Weymouth Town Council. Singers from Weymouth choirs invite attendees to join them in singing I Vow to Thee, My Country as the beacon is lit at 9.30pm, which can be viewed from the promenade by the Jubilee Clock.

The VE Day flag will also be flown at the flagpole next to Weymouth War Memorial throughout the day for all to observe. And the Jubilee Clock will also be lit red, white, and blue in honour of the occasion.

Saturday 10^th May

An exciting line-up of live music takes place on Weymouth Beach. The concert features performances from talented local bands, groups and musicians across a variety of genres.  Full line-up and set times are below. The stage will be set up by the Beach Office so that the performances can be viewed from the beach.

1pm – Introduction and speech from the Mayor of Weymouth, Cllr Jon Orrell. 

1.05pm – 1.35pm, Bovington Military Wives Choir 

1.50pm – 2.35pm, The Decadettes 

2.50pm – 3.20pm, Asha Zee 

3.40pm – 4.10pm, Wessex Musical Theatre

4.25pm – 4.55pm, Lewis Snarey 

5.15pm – 6pm, Modern Disciples 

6.15pm – 7pm, Milk & Two 

7.30pm – 8.15pm, That Britpop Band 

8.45pm – 9.30pm, The Leggomen 

To continue the VE Day 80 celebrations, Weymouth Town Council invited community and voluntary groups to apply for a grant to support a variety of VE Day 80-themed events. A total of £3,500 was made available and the funding was fully allocated, with the successful applications shown below:

K*TCHEN – Monday 5^th May. VE Day Circus, a performance takes place at The Nothe Fort, 1pm to 1.30pm and is described as a hilarious and heartfelt tribute to the overworked women of the era.

All Saints Church celebrations and beacon lighting –Thursday 8^th May from 6pm. Tickets £10 (u16s £5) from www.parishofwykeregis.org.uk/events

Mission Hall Sutton Poyntz celebrations – Thursday 8^th May. With fish and chips, a quiz, and a glass of fizz for the beacon lighting offered to ticket holders. Tickets from hillyd54@gmail.com.

RAFA Afternoon Tea – Thursday 8^th May from 3pm. Free afternoon tea for all veterans, serving military and club members at the Weymouth RAFA Club.

Portraits on Parade – Thursday 8^th and Friday 9^th May. Portraits of WWII veterans on parade on the promenade on Weymouth seafront.

MV Freedom –Veterans are invited to take a trip on the MV Freedom catamaran on Saturday 10^th May. Contact peteryork970@binternet.com to arrange.

Community Afternoon Tea – Free afternoon tea with sing-along musical entertainment between 2.30pm and 4.30pm on Saturday 10^th May at St Nicholas Church, Broadwey.

Holy Trinity Church Afternoon Tea –Refreshments and cream teas available for the community from 3pm on Saturday 10^th May.

The Veterans Hub memorial mural – Created in the garden of the Veterans Hub in collaboration with local artists. The garden is used by veterans, friends and family members as a quiet reflection space. The mural, created to memorialise the VE Day anniversary, will be long-lasting and is due to be completed this month.

Weymouth Blind Club – Cream teas and music for members of Weymouth Blind Club.

Open Air Concert – Saturday 10^th May in the St Laurence Church car park, Upwey. 12pm to 4pm. Refreshments and live music available to the community in a picnic-style setting.

Mayor of Weymouth, Cllr Jon Orrell, said: “We are proud to be supporting a range of events to mark the 80^th anniversary of VE Day across Weymouth. Members of the public are invited to join us on the 8th May for the beacon lighting, and we are encouraging people to create a relaxed, festival-style atmosphere at the beach concert on Saturday 10^th May, so bring a picnic, blankets, and sit back enjoy the performances. We’ve also funded a range of community events to complement our programme, so join together and be part of this significant occasion.”

Visit the website for further details.

ENDS 

Notes to Editors

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