THE public are being urged to celebrate VE Day today safely at home because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Community celebrations that were due to take place on the bank holiday weekend to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day have had to be cancelled.

But just because these celebrations are no longer taking place communities across the Bradford district are being told that they can’t all mark this momentous day in other ways from the safety of our own homes.

A special message from the Lord Mayor of Bradford Councillor Doreen Lee has been recorded. The message will be broadcast across the Council’s social media channels and will also be emailed to care homes throughout the district.

The email contains a link to a 20 minute video of classic sing-along wartime songs all performed by a group of local artists that can be shared with residents as part of their celebrations. The group of artists featured in the video all live together and are being supported by a Response grant from Bradford Council.

People from communities across the district are also being encouraged to join in with nationally organised activities including a two minute's silence at 11am and a toast to the nation at 3pm.

The Queen’s national address will be broadcast on BBC One at 9pm and people from all communities across the district are being encouraged to join the nation in singing the Dame Vera Lynn song ‘We’ll Meet Again’ following this broadcast.

Part of the original celebration plans included a lone piper playing the lament Battle’s O’er and a piece specially commissioned for VE Day 75, on the steps of Bradford Cathedral at 2.55pm. This was to coincide with lone pipers across the nation playing the same pieces of music.

As this has had to be cancelled, Bradford Council has worked with Bradford Cathedral and pipers from two local pipe bands who live in the Bradford district to produce a video of the music to be broadcast at 2.55pm across the Council’s social media platforms.

The video of the two pipers one from the City of Bradford Pipe Band and one from the City of Leeds Pipe Band also encourages people to take part in the nation’s toast at 3pm and join a special online VE Day Service organised by Bradford Cathedral. The virtual service will include prayers and readings and Bishop Nick will also provide a short address.

To help people to organise their own celebrations in their own homes the Council has created a special page on its website with ideas, resources and links.

The page contains information about how to hold a VE Day party at home with wartime recipes, a wartime songs playlist and templates for creating bunting and decorations.

There is also information and links helping people to discover and share their own family history, links to videos of Bradford from the time, as well as activities for children.

The Council would like people from across the district to use its social media pages to share their own family’s World War Two photos and stories.

The Council’s Museums and Galleries Service Bradford Photo Archive doesn’t currently hold a broad range of photographs from World War Two, and they would like people to share their photos to help build up a picture of the district during this time.

The Council would also like to see photos and videos of how people from across the district are celebrating VE Day 75 in their own homes. The hash tag to use to share your photos and videos is #BradfordVEDay75.

If anyone has any photos or artefacts from World War Two that they would like to donate they can contact the Museums and Galleries Service via email collections@bradford.gov.uk, to discuss the donation once the restrictions due to the coronavirus have come to an end.

Councillor Joanne Dodds, Bradford Council’s Armed Forces Champion, said: “People will be naturally disappointed that the original plans to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day have had to be cancelled, but now more than ever it is important that we all do our bit to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

“We want to support everyone to celebrate, as well as reflect on the enormous sacrifice, courage and determination of people from all walks of life, backgrounds and from across all our communities, who saw us through the Second World War. This is why we’ve put together the page of ideas and resources to help people to be able to do this from the safety of their home.

“As everyone continues to support the national effort to tackle coronavirus, we hope people enjoy using these ideas to commemorate the day with everyone in their household and virtually with friends and family.

“So, whatever you have planned for the bank holiday weekend, please continue to follow all the government’s guidelines to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives and echoing the words of Vera Lynn – We’ll Meet Again.”

Information about celebrating VE Day at home in the Bradford district can be found on the Council’s website visit www.bradford.gov.uk and search for VE Day 75, follow Bradford Council on social media at @BradfordMDC and share what you are doing using the hash tag #BradfordVEDay75

The Second World War had an effect on people from across the whole of Britain and the Commonwealth including men from India, the West Indies, East and West Africa, Canada, Australia, Ireland and many other nations who all fought alongside British troops and as VE Day was being celebrated, thousands in the armed forces were still involved in conflict in the Far East which did not end until VJ Day in August 1945.