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VE Day 80 Anniversary Event & VJ Day 80th Anniversary Event

Thursday, 8 May 2025

2025 sees the 80th anniversaries of both VE Day and VJ Day.


At 9am on the morning of Thursday 8th May, there will be a proclamation by the Mayor of Witham on the steps of the Town Hall and the VE Day flag will be raised.


On the evening of Thursday 8th May, there will be a parade from The Avenue to Chipping Hill, where there will be a bar, fish and chips and a band while we await the lighting of the beacon at 9.30pm. The parade will start at 8.15pm and will be led by the Essex Caledonian Pipe Band. At Chipping Hill, the band will be the Bocking Concert Brass Band.



At the lighting of the beacon, we will sing I Vow To Thee My Country:


I vow to thee, my country

 

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above

Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love

The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test

That lays upon the altar, the dearest and the best

The love that never falters, the love that pays the price

The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice

 

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago

Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know

We may not count her armies, we may not see her king

Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering

And soul by soul, and silently her shining bounds increase

And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace

On the evening of 6th June 2024, the residents of Witham came together to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.  Our parade, filled with members of local groups, Councillors and residents, was led by the Essex Caledonian Pipe Band from The Avenue down to the River Walk at Chipping Hill Bridge where, after a short service, a beacon was lit. Photos by David Islip




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