On 8 May, we celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE Day where we held a number of commemorative events and activities.
Celebrations on the day itself began with a procession from the Town Hall, led by the Mayor of Epsom & Ewell, to Epsom Market Place. To mark the occasion, we raised a specially designed VE Day 80 flag, provided by the Royal British Legion, and Councillor Graham Jones, Armed Forces Champion, gave the proclamation.
In the evening, we lit up the Epsom Clock Tower as a tribute and, in partnership with Go Epsom and The Jockey Club, hosted a free beacon lighting event on Epsom Downs. At the Epsom Downs Racecourse, entertainment was provided for the public, with some wonderful music performed by choirs and a brass band.
Other activities included:
- Bourne Hall decorating their café and reception area with homemade bunting with local schools designing and making the bunting.
- Land of Hope and Glory, a patriotic matinee show from Neil Sands Productions, was performed at Epsom Playhouse on Thursday 1 May, filled with more than 60 all-time favourite songs that celebrated the best of British entertainment through the decades.
- Leading up to VE Day celebrations, our Streetcare team had planted some beautiful patriotic blooms.
A huge thank you to everybody who helped to organise activities, for those who took part – there were some particularly moving and poignant moments throughout the day, and also to those members of the public who managed to join with us to mark such a significant time in history.
