It was at 3pm on Tuesday, 8th May 1945 that Winston Churchill officially announced the end of the war in Europe and declared it to be VE Day.
Years of carnage and destruction had come to an end and millions of people took to the streets and pubs to celebrate peace, mourn their loved ones and to hope for the future. Next Friday, 8th May it will be 75 years since the guns fell silent.
Parkes Town Crier Tim Keith will join town criers from all over the world in a very special ‘Cry For Peace Around The World’ to mark this historic anniversary.
Following the current social distancing conventions, town criers in New Zealand and Australia will be the first to raise their bells to start the ‘Cry For Peace Around The World’.
“As the ranks of our WWII veterans diminish, it is only fitting that as the world now wages war with a microscopic enemy, that we reflect on the enormous sacrifice, courage and determination of people from all walks of life who saw us through this dark and terrifying period,” said the organisers of the event. “That same determination and courage is needed once again.”
Tim Keith will be at the Parkes Cenotaph at 3pm next Friday.