‘We owe so much to wartime generation – and VE Day tributes were fitting’

What an amazing day VE Day was! First the moving two-minute silence, accompanied on TV by wartime pictures; the inspiring testimonies of those involved; the wonderful songs; and then our Queen’s heartfelt and heart-warming words, and the final moving song ‘We’ll Meet Again’, sung by many of our present-day heroes.

All of us owe so much to that wartime generation and, after so much suffering, it’s no wonder they celebrated with such joy and relief.

We were not able to celebrate in the way we had hoped, but celebrate we did. I wore my special red, white and blue (flag) outfit, and my husband and I walked down our road to see the fly-past at 3pm, only to be told by some lovely people having their street party in their gardens that it wasn’t happening, but I’d be welcome to listen to their neighbour playing her organ then instead.

So I did, and had a great time waving to all who passed– and most waved back! I enjoyed myself so much, I decided to have my own VE tea party, in isolation, in my layby, and to continue waving, and again, I found passers-by so friendly, waving back, often with a greeting.

So I want to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who made the day so special for me – and that includes the people in Broadmark Way who also welcomed me to join their sing-song when I went out to ‘Clap for Heroes’ in the evening,and David, who kindly stopped by in his super-old Austin car. All such lovely people!

What a great place to live! I’m so thankful to God for bringing me here 47 years ago, as well as for the perfect weather which helped make VE Day such a tonic in these difficult times.

Like many others, I’ve had to cancel my ‘big’ birthday party, but I now know all I have to do is sit in my layby with my tea and cake (weather permitting!) and wave – and I’ll have plenty of passing ‘guests’ to celebrate with me!