Mansfield council reveals plans for virtual VE Day commemorations

Mansfield District Council had been planning to hold a big celebration at Four Seasons Shopping Centre but due to the national coronavirus social distancing measures, all its events have been put on hold until at least September.But council bosses felt May 8 was too significant a date to ignore and so put on their thinking caps about how best to mark the day 75 years ago when the guns fell silent, marking the end of the SecoSo now residents are being encouraged to hold picnics in their front gardens, using 1940s inspired recipes to rustle up tasty treats, and to make some noise to mark the occasion in a community street singalong of wartime favourites.

A web page - www.mansfield.gov.uk/VEDay - has been included on the council's website to support the event. People are being encouraged to deliver wartime-style treats to elderly friends, neighbours and relatives who may be in lockdown isolation, to help evoke memories of the past. Among the recipes online are ones for ginger creams and golden slices.The council is also supporting a national two minutes' silence at 3pm followed by the official Nation’s Toast to all World War Two heroes. Mayor Andy Abrahams said: “From the safety of your own home, please join us by standing up and raising a glass of refreshment of your choice and making the following toast; ‘To those who gave so much, we thank you'.

"We felt it was important to still say thank you to those who fought for us and to lift the spirits of our communities whilst in lockdown.”

To reach elderly or vulnerable members of the community, who may not have access to the internet, the council is creating an invitation for people to print out and take round or post to their friends and neighbours so they don't miss out. This will soon be available on the council website.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you

Nancy Fielder, editor