From early morning when the sun rises to evening as night descends, church bells will ring out, special flags will be flown, town criers will proclaim the victory, the haunting sound of bagpipes will fill the air and, in a final gesture of homage, beacons and Lamp Lights of Peace will be lit to signify the light that emerged from the darkness of war.
The TOWN CRIER of Kimberley will be joining thousands of others wanting to remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women who took part in WWII, not only from our country, but other countries that fought side by side with us during the dreadful dark days of war.
Cllr Neil Doherty, Mayor of Kimberley says to be able to play even a small part in paying tribute is humbling and a great honour. He says: “To be able to join residents from Kimberley paying our respects to all those who took part in WWII to enable us to enjoy the freedoms we do today is a great honour. We will be observing the Proclamation at the War Memorial at 8:00am, followed by the raising of the VE Day 80th Anniversary Flag at 9:00am. Join us at the Chapel on the Hill from 8:30pm as we host a Beacon Lighting Ceremony to pay tribute to all those brave men and women and join with those nationally in lighting the Beacons.”
Bruno Peek CVO OBE OPR Pageantmaster of VE DAY 80 said; “In order to celebrate the eighty years of peace and freedom given to us by the bravery and ultimate sacrifice of so many during WWII as a whole, hundreds of Town Criers will undertake the VE Day Proclamation at 8am, Flags will be raised, Church Bells will be rung, and over one thousand Beacons and several hundred Lamp Lights of Peace will be lit at 9.30pm across the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories on May 8, 2025, with the flames from the Beacons and Lamps representing the ‘light of peace’ that emerged from the darkness of war, and once lit for this occasion, the Lamps can be re-lit again at 11am on Remembrance Sunday for many years to come in tribute to the many millions that sacrificed their lives during WWII.