Welcome to our History Page

Here you will find several ways to learn about the end of World War Two on Victory in Europe Day and ideas to help you commemorate it in your families.

You can see a video of highlights of the day and there are lessons for children.

This is the programme of events for Friday 8th May.

• 11am — Two-minute national silence to remember the declaration of victory and the end of the Second World War in Europe.
• 11.15am - British Legion Live Stream on their Facebook page. 

               See below. 

• 2.45pm - 3.45pm — The first of two special BBC One programmes to mark VE75, including extracts from Sir Winston Churchill’s victory speech delivered at 3pm on VE Day.
• Afternoon — Britons encouraged to hold 1940s-style afternoon tea parties at home rather than street parties, including homemade bunting and recipes from the era.
• 9pm — Address by the Queen followed by national doorstep rendition of Dame Vera Lynn’s We’ll Meet Again.

This short film explains what VE Day and VJ Day were, and the events that led to the end of the war.  

An eye-witness called Alan, who was a child at the time, recalls seeing the celebrations in London as he went on his paper round, and his bittersweet reaction, having lost his mother during the war.

Click on the green button.

Read the BBC's article about plans for VE Day 2020.

The BBC are inviting everyone to make your own special VE Day 75 ‘Great British Bunting’ to display in your window at home.

Click on the green button for instructions and a video. You could use any paper, cereal boxes, string, ribbon, sweet wrappers, felt pens, poster paint you have or whatever you can find.

You can decorate your bunting with pictures of whatever inspires you, whether it’s those who fought on the frontline or worked hard on the Homefront, or whether it’s a celebration of enduring peace or your own personal hero.

Hang your bunting with pride over the weekend of Friday 8 May - Sunday 10 May and make sure you share your pictures with us and on our social media Twitter @GreatCrosby and Instagram great.crosby.catholic.primary using the hashtags #GreatBritishBunting, #VEDay75 and #BBCMakeaDifference.

Do you have any relatives who remember VE Day?  Could you speak to them and then write down what you have found out?  We'd love to know.

As a 'taster' for getting ready to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, maybe you'd like to having a go at baking Churchill's fruit cake from the National Trust

website 

The National Memorial Arboretum have a special activity plan that reflects the spirit of the VE Day commemorations.. 

The Arboretum, which is the UK's year-round centre of Remembrance says that "returning home" is one of the major themes explored during the day; and as such our activity plan is based around the song 'Take You Home'. The activity plan is available as a PDF, which can be here.  It is aimed at Key Stage 1 pupils; but can be used with children of any age with adult guidance and can be held both at home and in the classroom.

Here's a light hearted song by the Horrible Histories team.