Chesterfield residents urged to mark 75th anniversary of VE Day from home

Chesterfield Borough Council and residents had planned a wide range of events to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe on Friday.

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However, these events have had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “The VE Day celebrations planned for Chesterfield would have been truly special, underpinned by our fantastic events programme.

“Given the ongoing crisis we are encouraging residents to find that blitz spirit and come up with unique ways to commemorate and remember this day at home.

“For a lot of veterans this is a chance to reflect on their service – and for us to remember and thank them for the sacrifices they and our communities made.”

In the build up to VE Day, the council’s social media pages will promote how people can mark the anniversary from home.

A group called History’s Maid – which was due to hold a live performance at Chesterfield Musuem – has produced a series of videos which cover the final months of the war from the perspective of a British soldier.

The videos will be released on the museum’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/chesterfieldmuseum – at 11am every day next week.

The museum has also created a special resource centre which includes activities for the whole family, including World War Two themed baking, quizzes and craft activities. You can access these at www.chesterfield.gov.uk/explore-chesterfield/museum/whats-on/ve-day.aspx.

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