Northern Ireland

Virtual VE Day celebrations across Northern Ireland

'Virtual' VE Day 75 celebrations will take place in Ards and North Down. Image taken at a memorial in Millisle, Co Down
'Virtual' VE Day 75 celebrations will take place in Ards and North Down. Image taken at a memorial in Millisle, Co Down 'Virtual' VE Day 75 celebrations will take place in Ards and North Down. Image taken at a memorial in Millisle, Co Down

CELEBRATIONS marking the 75th anniversary of VE Day will be virtual this year, but councils are still hoping for enthusiastic participation today.

The date marks the moment guns fell silent at the end of World War II in Europe and is being marked across the continent.

Ards and North Down Borough Council urged residents to design their own bunting and submit images via its social media channels by yesterday, with the best to be displayed online today.

North Down Museum sounded its World War II siren at 8pm last night to coincide with the `Clap for our Carers'.

Today people have been encouraged to observe a two-minute silence at 11am before taking part in a toast at 3pm when people across the UK will 'raise a glass' at home while a local piper plays via the council's social media channels.

The Royal British Legion is encouraging everyone to take part in a UK-wide sing-along to Vera Lynn's 'We'll Meet Again' at 9pm.

Mid and East Antrim Council is still asking people to don their party hats and roll out the bunting despite the cancellation of a weekend of family fun and festivities in Larne due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The council is supporting the UK-wide `Ringing out for Peace' event with local churches expected to take part at 7pm.

The programme of activities also features a special online tribute to the recipients of Silver Poppies to surviving Second World War veterans within the borough.

People have been urged to decorate their homes - and themselves - in 1945 garden party style, while following the public health rules on social distancing, and share their photos and videos on its social media channels.

There is also a lunchtime cookery demonstration of `Dishes from 1945' by Colour Sergeant Mike Beaton of the Royal Marines and a reading of extracts from Winston Churchill’s speeches of 8 May 1945 at 2.45pm.

The Facebook pages of both the Buranvon Theatre in Cookstown and The Hill of The O'Neill and Ranfurly House in Dungannon are featuring historians presenting Mid Ulster-related talks about the end of the Second World War in Europe.

For the Burnavon audiences at 1pm, local historian and author John McCann will focus on the American divisions who were stationed in Cookstown and Mid Ulster, chronicling their presence from D-Day to the troops' return to America.

At 2pm historian and broadcaster Dr Éamon Phoenix will explore the impact of the war on Dungannon and the broader region, from politics and government to heavy industry and key roles in the Allied war effort.

In Belfast celebrations have also moved online and 100-year-old WWII veteran Teddy Dixon has pre-recorded a short video to mark the anniversary.

He gave a reading of the Nation’s Toast and introduced a recording of a piper playing `When the Battle's O'er' to be broadcast on the council's Facebook and Twitter channels at 3pm.

BBC Northern Ireland is transporting audiences back to VE Day with a new online resource, launching today, to explore how events unfolded.

Developed with the NI War Memorial, it combines photos, audio stories and first-hand memories of that day.

BBC iPlayer also has `Belfast Blitz', four short animation films, based on a script by Jonathan Bardon telling stories of the impact the bombing had on the city in the 1940s.

BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle will reflect the mood and memories of May 1945 during the bank holiday weekend on Your Place And Mine, Sunday Sequence, Sounds Sacred and Sunday With Steven Rainey, and there will be a special Jazz Club at 9pm on Sunday with Walter Love playing music of the 1940s.

The stations will also feature listener requests and explore what this anniversary means to BBC audiences, including younger people, and how it is being marked despite the challenges and restrictions of lockdown.

BBC Bitesize GCSE resources will also examine the impact of Nazi air raids on Belfast and its region, and the effect of wartime events and experiences on different aspects of life, including politics and the economy available.

For further infomation see www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zsqpgdm/revision/2 ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/events/veday75.