North Dorset VE Day Celebrations

[BSA WM20]

Military Vehicles Wanted for North Dorset VE Day Celebrations

 

On VE Day 1945, Shaftesbury celebrated victory in Europe by parading through the High Street with flaming torches and dancing to music that came from a gramophone placed on the Town Hall balcony. This part of Shaftesbury was a focal point throughout the entire war with gas masks being distributed from the Town Hall and the air raid shelter being housed under the Post Office. To celebrate the 75^th Anniversary of VE Day, Shaftesbury is holding a very special event on Friday 8^th May 2020.

 From 4pm, the High Street will be filled with music, this time from a stage erected outside the Town Hall. Songs of the period will feature heavily, and once darkness begins to fall, an aerobatic pyrotechnic display will commence. This display is not something to be forgotten as pyrotechnics are launched directly from two planes flying as low as 1000ft.

Various stage acts will appear throughout the evening and we’ll be joined by a WW2 veteran who may share a few words. One guest witnessed the original VE Day celebrations at just 10 years of age and it’s hoped we can make the 75^th Anniversary equally as memorable.

I’m an MVT member and I asked the organising committee if they’d like a couple of WW2 vehicles, my BSA M20 and MB Jeep. The committee would like as many period vehicles as possible and I said I’d spread the word and help arrange vehicle/reenactor entry for the event. With the event beginning at 4pm, vehicle arrival is likely to be before 3pm and the final stage act finishes at 11pm. Should vehicles need to depart before this time, we can plan accordingly, but I’m told that celebrations in 1945 went on into the early hours!

Feel free to get in touch for questions and/or a booking form. The event is completely free of charge and it would be great to see you there. My email address is lee@leedavey.co.uk

 

All the best, Lee Davey.