A standard bearer who joined in Spalding’s original VE Day celebrations 75 years ago this week will be among those marking the anniversary from their own homes tomorrow (Friday).
The public are being urged to party in their gardens from 3pm on Friday, May 8 to mark the day Germany surrendered to the Allies.
While the current COVID-19 lockdown thwarted plans for parades and services across the country, including in Spalding, many people are still looking to mark the anniversary.
They include standard bearers dipping their flag to commemorate the fallen at 3pm, the time then Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced the surrender to the nation.
Alongside the chair of the Spalding branch of the Royal British Legion, Graham Hewitt who featured in The Voice last week, another person who will be doing just that is Keith Seaton (80) who is the standard bearer of the Lincolnshire branch of Malaya and Borneo veterans.
And while remembering the fallen, he will also be taken back to Tuesday, May 8, 1945 when he witnessed Spalding’s end of war celebrations in the Market Place.
“I remember the celebrations well even though I was six,” he said. “I was friends with the family that were running Toynton’s newsagents which was next to the Corn Exchange as it was then (now the South Holland Centre) and we went up to the window above the shop watching all the celebrations below in the Market Place from there.
“There’s was a huge bonfire in the centre of Market Place and people were letting off fire crackers.
“There was also celebrations around the site of a building that had been bombed during the war.
“It was wonderful to be a part of and the memories are quite vivid.
“I have even more vivid memories of VJ Day which I went down to London for.”
As part of national service, Keith spent time in Malaysia and has been a member of the Lincolnshire branch of the Malaya and Borneo Veterans Association whom he’s also the standard bearer for.
For the last few weeks he and asthmatic wife Meb (78) have barely left their Little London home.
But Keith will still be dipping his standard for the veterans he represents in his garden.
“It’s a shame we can’t be out but I shall still be dipping the standard,” Keith continued. “I’ve hardly left the house and Meb hasn’t left it all for nearly two months.
“Our grandson Ashley is keeping us going by dropping bits off.
“But we wanted to mark this event.”
Elsewhere, frequent supporter of the veterans, Harold Payne of the Anglian Motel in Fleet Hargate has had to cancel the large event he’d planned for Hunstanton which was due to include its own flypast including historic aircraft such as Lancaster bombers.
“I’m disappointed for the veterans,” he said. “But I am still going on my own to leave a bouquet on the war memorials at Holbeach, Fleet and at Hunstanton.”
How are you celebrating VE Day?
We’d love to see your pictures of garden parties and celebrations.
Please send them to [email protected] with the full names of those on the picture and where you’re from.
