The Town Council's maintenance team have been busy planting out the beds in the memorial gardens in time for VE day tomorrow - go and take a look at their handiwork when you're out for your permitted daily exercise and we're sure you'll agree they've done an amazing job!
In 1945, the long anticipated news that the Second World War had come to an end in Europe resulted in celebrations breaking out across the nation.
Unfortunately, due to the current Covid-19 crisis, families and communities across the nation will be unable to celebrate this 75th anniversary in quite the same way.
We may not be able to have the public celebrations many people planned, but we can still remember the heroes of WWII.
Please continue to observe government advice: stay home, stay safe, and protect our NHS. Celebrate in your own home, or garden if you have one, but please do not be tempted to visit relatives or friends.
To help you plan your stay at home celebrations here are some ideas:
Let's get crafty!
There are lots of templates on the internet for everything from bunting to VE Day thank you cards. The VE-VJ Day 75 toolkit also has templates, including thank you cards and posters to colour in and place in your windows.
Dance like it's 1945!
The Lindy Hop was all the rage in the 1940s. It’s a swing dance that originated in New York in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It gained popularity in the UK in the 1940s thanks to the American servicemen stationed here during the Second World War.
Have a look at these instructions from English Heritage or see some great videos on the internet of the professionals in action.
Do your hair and make up!
Many of us may have been skipping our make-up recently, and don’t even mention our hair! Well, Friday 8 May is a good day to dig out the lippy, curl your hair and put on your glad rags! Talk to your family or search the internet for hair, fashion and make-up ideas from the 1940's. Bletchley Park provide some instructions in their activity pack for the Victory Rolls hairstyle, named after the victory manoeuvre of fighter aircraft first seen during the Battle of Britain in 1940.
The schedule for events in Thame can be found at https://www.facebook.com/thametowncouncil/ and include the Mayor, Cllr Ann Midwinter laying a wreath at 11.00am, Churchill's speech read by Tony Long at 3.00pm, followed at 3.15pm by a toast to the nation by Cllr David Bretherton, Thame town councillor and chairman of South Oxfordshire District Council.
The timetable for the day in Oxfordshire is as follows:
11am - 2 minutes silence for a national moment of remembrance
11.15am - Join the Royal British Legion VE Day Livestream
2.50pm – Watch Oxfordshire’s Lord Lieutenant’s message on their Facebook page: https://tinyurl.com/y98mdzsu
6.00pm: Christchurch Cathedral Oxford: listen to a VE Day Evensong from this historic place of worship: https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/oxfords-cathedral/online-worship
9.00pm - Her Majesty The Queen will send a message to the nation on BBC One, at the same time her father, King George VI, gave a radio address in 1945.
Followed by a national singalong of Dame Vera Lynn's 'We'll Meet Again'. The Royal British Legion have provided the lyrics on their website.
Open your doors and join in with this national moment of celebration!
