Shrewsbury on VE day morning

Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury started VE Day with a Town Crier, Flag rising and giant mural, ahead of events later on today.

Transcript

00:00Okay? Okay. You ready then?

00:06Oh, yeah!

00:12Oh, yeah!

00:19Oh, yeah!

00:30Eighty years ago today, the United Kingdom and its allies from around the globe celebrated VE Day.

00:43The end of the war in Europe.

00:47Today, as we come together to commemorate what became known as VE Day,

00:56our thoughts turn to the thanksgiving and remembrance of those millions

01:05that gave so much to achieve the freedom we all enjoy today.

01:13We remember those we lost, those who were wounded or scarred,

01:20those whose lives were forever changed by war.

01:28Nobody was immune from that terrible conflict,

01:34and let us pause to remember their sacrifice.

01:39We reflect, too, the common words of our late Queen Elizabeth.

01:50Never give up.

01:53Never despair.

01:55And so we offer thanksgiving for the selflessness of those who gave up so much,

02:04in order that future generations should enjoy the blessings of freedom, democracy and peace.

02:14God save the King!

02:31So, Martin, what's just happened here today?

02:34Right, well, we've started today this morning at 8 o'clock,

02:37for the celebrations of the VE Day.

02:41And we have all the town criers from around the world,

02:44there's about two and a half thousand of us.

02:47We have a cry which has been written by Buckingham Palace,

02:52and has been sent down to each of the criers by the pageant master.

02:57And so, this morning at 8 o'clock, we did the cry for the first time,

03:01and then again we'll do it this evening in the quarry,

03:06and the other criers will do it in their own locations.

03:09What time will it happen in the quarry this evening, Martin?

03:12This evening it will be at approximately 8 o'clock.

03:15Got ya, got ya.

03:16Full shift for you, then.

03:18From dust till top.

03:22You've been a town crier how long?

03:2541 years.

03:26Just the 41.

03:27Do you still kind of, I know you've got the official bits you've got to do,

03:32but do you still kind of have a little moment and you think,

03:34yeah, I'm quite proud, I was, you know, on, yeah, yeah,

03:37to be here announcing that.

03:39Yeah, I mean, it's, you know, as I said, I've done it for 40 odd years,

03:43so, you know, I've continued to do it for as long as possible.

03:46Well, we thank you, Martin.

03:48There's no one better to do it for us here in shop.

03:50Thank you, sir.

03:52Hi, I'm Helen Hall, I'm the town clerk of Shrewsbury Town Council.

03:55Cool, thank you.

03:56David Basmer, the mayor of Shrewsbury.

03:59Lionel Morris, chairman of the Registry of Freeman of Shrewsbury.

04:03Okay.

04:05So, why is it important that we're here and doing this?

04:10Probably a daft question, but I'm asking it.

04:12Well, I think we need to recognise that 80 years ago,

04:15it was the culmination of a war that a lot of people gave their lives for.

04:19Yeah.

04:20So that we have peace and freedom now, and we should never forget that.

04:23Totally.

04:24And it's wonderful to come together to celebrate the end of peace, start a peace in Europe.

04:29And it's something, as it gets further and further into the bowels of history,

04:36more and more people coming through possibly are going to take it for granted, aren't they,

04:40this freedom that we have.

04:41So, we need to kind of just be reminded on that level, don't we, as well, really.

04:48There's a flag raising about to take place, I do believe, so that's happening as well.

04:52Yeah, is that in the quarry?

04:53Yes, 9 o'clock in the quarry, we will raise the 80th anniversary of the day flag.

05:00Great stuff.

05:01And that's the start of further activities for the rest of the day.

05:05Mr Mayor will be laying a wreath later on this afternoon.

05:08Okay, yeah.

05:09And it will culminate in the Beacon Inlet at about 12 past 9 tonight.

05:13Where's the beacon?

05:14The beacon, you can't miss it, it's absolutely huge in the quarry.

05:17Ah.

05:18So, entertainment starts at 8 o'clock tonight.

05:20What sort of entertainment is it then?

05:22So, there's lots of singing with the Ronnies.

05:24Oh, okay.

05:25Good old nostalgic singing.

05:26Yeah.

05:27Lots of people who are going to be reciting poems and speeches from the day.

05:34And then we will culminate in the lighting of the beacon.

05:39So, you've heard it here first, folks.

05:40If you've missed the morning call from our Shropshire town crier, Shrewsbury town crier,

05:44get yourself down to Quaddie Park later.

05:47Thank you, guys.

05:51It's a lovely flag, isn't it, guys?

05:53Is this like a flag that's kind of a standard issue across the country?

05:56Yeah.

05:57Is that how it works, yeah?

05:58Yeah, very good.

05:59Great stuff.

06:00That's lovely.

06:01Are you on there, Mr Mayor?

06:02Can we see you?

06:04As a young whiff snapper.

06:05No, I'm not quite.

06:07I'm not that one.

06:08I'm only joking.

06:10Right, we'll let you do your official bit then, gents.

06:13Ladies and Gents.

06:14That's all right.

06:15Is that okay?

06:16Yeah.

06:17Yep.

06:18Stop looking.

06:21That way.

06:22Okay?

06:23Sorry.

06:24I'm not sorry.

06:25You too, Phil.

06:26I'm sorry.

06:27You too.

06:28You too.

06:29I'm sorry.

06:30There.

06:31You too.

06:32I'm not sorry.

06:34You too.

06:35I don't know.

06:36You too.

06:37You too.

06:38You too.

06:39You too.

06:40You too.

06:41Thank you very much.

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