'We'll Meet Again' in virtual services celebrating VE Day

We are invited to decorate our homes in bunting before joining in with the national 2-minute silence at 11am.

The nation is then invited to "relive history" by listening to Churchill's famous VE day speech at 3pm before having picnic teas in their gardens in a lockdown version of a street party.

At 9pm, after Her Majesty the Queen's address to the nation, we are invited to join with the British Legion in a nationwide sing-a-long to Dame Vera Lynn's 'We'll Meet Again'.

Across the Diocese, churches will also be holding virtual VE day services and we would love to hear what you did (click here to tell us).

But here are just 4 of the many things going on:

Our Cathedral is hosting a special online Evensong where the Archdeacon of Sarum, who is also the Senior Chaplain to Wiltshire Army Cadets, will give a short pre-recorded reflection.

Archdeacon Alan Jeans will remind us that the lessons learnt from the war led to the creation of the NHS that is so vital to us today.

An Army Chaplain for 18 years, serving in a number of roles, he will reflect on his pride at the role of our present armed forces in the building of 7 Nightingale field hospitals, the distribution of essential PPE items to our NHS, and through their work supporting staff at testing centres.

His reflection can be found here.

The service can be accessed here.

Meanwhile a special VE Day Service will be broadcast to residents of Salisbury.

Bishop Nicholas will join Salisbury City Council and St Thomas’ Church in inviting residents of Salisbury to watch a broadcast of a VE Day Service on Friday 8 May at 9.30am.

The Bishop will give a short address at the service at St Thomas’ Church which will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

The service, which will include a hymn and the National Anthem, will be broadcast through the St Thomas’ website via YouTube and here both live and as catch up. Link here.

The Revd Kelvin Inglis said:

"St Thomas's joins the City Council to mark this significant and joyous anniversary. We cannot host physically but we can all come together in 'virtual' unity. We shall hear from the Bishop of Salisbury and those joining us will have the opportunity to sing along with a well-known hymn and the National Anthem."

In Calne, the Revd Bob Kenway,,Team Rector of Marden Vale, will be joining
in with the online Civic Service at 2pm. Video here.

And outside of the VE Day services, over in Dorset, the Revd Charlie Boyle from All Saints Branksome Park has also spent time interviewing a World War 2 veteran. You can listen to Bill Mitchell sharing his memories of wartime here.