This is Haslemere met with Jo Cork at Haslemere Town Council. Jo is Haslemere Mayor’s secretary and is the main point of contact for all Town Council events. We had a chat with her about Haslemere’s 80th VE Day Anniversary Celebrations. The event will be opened by the Mayor of Haslemere and His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Surrey at 3:00 pm on 10th May and will go on until 9.00 pm, with any proceeds going to the Royal British Legion.

Jo is pulling all the elements together to make this a community event to remember. She laughed as she shared with us that she is basically the spreadsheet behind these celebrations.

She explained that this is going to be a free-to-attend event on Lion Green, funded by a range of organisations including Haslemere Town Council, Haslemere Events, Shottermill Great War Memorial Trust, Haslemere Festival and Surrey County Council. Local organisations such as Burley and Geach and St. Ives School have also provided sponsorship. As well as the funders/sponsors having a direct involvement, Haslemere’s Town Crier, Christian Ashdown, local super volunteer, Ken Griffiths, and representatives from Royal British Legion are all helping behind the scenes.

To mark the occasion, there will be a full-sized replica Spitfire on the Green plus WW2 military vehicles, stages, stalls, the Festival Bar and marquees. Langham’s Brewery have produced a special ale for the day - Victory Ale - which they are brewing in partnership with the Tangmere Air Museum, who are also going to be present on the day.. There will even be a raffle to win a flight in the Spitfire. There will be stalls for schools and charities such as ones that would have been relevant in 1945, for example, coconut shy, tin can alley, throw a wet sponge etc. There will be vintage deck chairs to create a 1940s theme and residents are encouraged to dress up in a nod to the era. Gaugemaster have taken a stall with their Airfix models including planes, tanks, spitfires and figurines. The local cadet group will also be present and they will conduct drills during the day on Lion Green. 

Haslemere Festival have booked a World War II Spitfire Flypast as part of the opening ceremony and are offering, by raffle, the chance to be in the plane with the pilot. Read more here how to enter this raffle.

Music will be provided by Rhythm & Groove Big Band (they are an 18-piece band in the style of Glen Miller), Music Works Choir, Blue Ray swing/jazz band, Sarah Prescott’s Harmonix Choir and a local Ukulele Band.

Surrey County Council have sponsored a marquee for historians/experts to give talks. These will include:

Haslemere During The War
Farming  During The War Including The Role of Land Girls
Queens Royal Surrey Brigade
Recollections of VE Day
The War at Sea
Why We Fought The War in Europe
Important Allies
War not over on VE Day-Leading to VJ Day

In the lead up to the commemoration event on Lion Green, The High Street, Wey Hill and Beacon will be decked in flags and the lamp posts of Haslemere will be bedecked with Commonwealth flags. Jo has contacted local businesses to dress their windows for a competition to reflect VE Day with a cup for the winner donated by The Royal Society of Saint George. Whether it’s Union Jacks, red/white/blue or land girls themes, o said she would love as many businesses as possible to get involved. Children from 11 local schools have bene invited to make 2,000 poppies for two giant VE Day wreaths that will adorn the tower of St Christopher's Church.

Finally, there will be a service on the Memorial Green on 8th May at 10am the actual anniversary of VE Day. All are welcome to attend.

The organisers woud love help on the 10th May. If you are able to assist, kindly contact ken@haslemere.com.