Plans are coming together for Rye to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on Thursday, May 8. The commemorations will remember the end of the war in Europe in 1945.
At 9am the VE Day flag will be raised on the flagpole at St Mary's church. Just after, along with town criers all over the country, Rye's town crier Paul Goring will proclaim the official VE Day 80 cry.
At lunchtime the day's commemorations continue at the Buttermarket at the town hall. Starting at 1pm the event will include Ryebellion Drummers, a recording of the speech Sir Winston Churchill gave announcing the unconditional surrender of Germany. Martin Bruce will read Edmund Blunden's poem V Day which will be followed by the song When The Lights Go On Again - sung by Cllr Rebekah Gilbert, accompanied on keyboard by Helen Bird, MBE.
There will also be speeches from Colonel Anthony Kimber, president of the Rye branch of the Royal British Legion, and Rye mayor Andy Stuart. With a further cry from Paul Goring and prayers led by Rev Paul White, the event at the town hall will end with a singalong of wartime songs, led by Friends Unlimited, culminating with the national anthem.
Later in the day bells are expected to be rung at churches all over the UK, with beacon lighting expected at 9:30pm.
While May 8 is not a public holiday there are a number of other events planned in pubs and community centres.
