STREET parties may be off the agenda for VE Day 75 Anniversary celebrations as a result of lockdown, but that hasn’t stopped the community of Melksham from marking this special day.
The Town Council has organised a “Tommy” to stand proudly in the Market Place as a visual reminder of the importance of the occasion. The stunning display, with the solitary solider surrounded by poppies and a special lighting display has been created by the Town Council’s resident horticulturist Richard Collett. As ever, Paul Weymouth and Light Fantastic have stepped up with a wonderful array of lights on the commemorative display and Town Hall.
There will also be a special flag flying from the Town Hall for the day marking the 75th
Anniversary.
Meanwhile a short film has been put together by the Town Mayor, Cllr Jon Hubbard,
featuring a special Cry for Peace by Melksham Town Crier Peter Dauncy and a rendition of the poem Unmentioned in Despatches by a group of children from the town. The film,
entirely filmed during lockdown by people on their mobile phones, is a touching tribute to all those who contributed towards the end of the conflict 75 years ago and features the
song Six Million Women (the Home Front Song) by Oliver Carpenter and Phil Bond
performed by Mumbo-Jumbo featuring Edwina Hayes as a tribute to those who battled at
home as well as on the Front Line.
The film can be found online at https://youtu.be/36lKuYCihRo and also features on the
Town Council’s Facebook Page.
Melksham Town Clerk, Linda Roberts, commented “I was delighted to be able to bring
‘Tommy’ to Melksham, Richard and I hatched up a plan to keep it a secret thinking it would be a nice surprise for everyone at this difficult time. And whilst we cannot come together as we would like, the community has a fitting tribute to commemorate this important landmark in our history.”
Melksham Town Mayor Jon Hubbard said, “I was determined that we would not let the 75th anniversary of VE Day pass by without being properly marked in the town. It is a necessary tragedy that we could not have the street parties, but important that we do something to remember this special occasion.
“I was delighted to work with the Town Crier and the amazing team of young people who
helped put together the content for the film and, of course, the brilliant photos from Linda De Santiz which captures the essence of this magnificent display.
“Community is at the heart of everything we do in Melksham and I am delighted to have
been able to bring just a small part of that together in this film”.
