Shrewsbury started VE Day with a Town Crier, Flag rising and giant mural, ahead of events later on today.
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00:00Okay? Okay. You ready then?
00:06Oh, yeah!
00:12Oh, yeah!
00:19Oh, yeah!
00:30Eighty years ago today, the United Kingdom and its allies from around the globe celebrated VE Day.
00:43The end of the war in Europe.
00:47Today, as we come together to commemorate what became known as VE Day,
00:56our thoughts turn to the thanksgiving and remembrance of those millions
01:05that gave so much to achieve the freedom we all enjoy today.
01:13We remember those we lost, those who were wounded or scarred,
01:20those whose lives were forever changed by war.
01:28Nobody was immune from that terrible conflict,
01:34and let us pause to remember their sacrifice.
01:39We reflect, too, the common words of our late Queen Elizabeth.
01:50Never give up.
01:53Never despair.
01:55And so we offer thanksgiving for the selflessness of those who gave up so much,
02:04in order that future generations should enjoy the blessings of freedom, democracy and peace.
02:14God save the King!
02:31So, Martin, what's just happened here today?
02:34Right, well, we've started today this morning at 8 o'clock,
02:37for the celebrations of the VE Day.
02:41And we have all the town criers from around the world,
02:44there's about two and a half thousand of us.
02:47We have a cry which has been written by Buckingham Palace,
02:52and has been sent down to each of the criers by the pageant master.
02:57And so, this morning at 8 o'clock, we did the cry for the first time,
03:01and then again we'll do it this evening in the quarry,
03:06and the other criers will do it in their own locations.
03:09What time will it happen in the quarry this evening, Martin?
03:12This evening it will be at approximately 8 o'clock.
03:15Got ya, got ya.
03:16Full shift for you, then.
03:18From dust till top.
03:22You've been a town crier how long?
03:2541 years.
03:26Just the 41.
03:27Do you still kind of, I know you've got the official bits you've got to do,
03:32but do you still kind of have a little moment and you think,
03:34yeah, I'm quite proud, I was, you know, on, yeah, yeah,
03:37to be here announcing that.
03:39Yeah, I mean, it's, you know, as I said, I've done it for 40 odd years,
03:43so, you know, I've continued to do it for as long as possible.
03:46Well, we thank you, Martin.
03:48There's no one better to do it for us here in shop.
03:50Thank you, sir.
03:52Hi, I'm Helen Hall, I'm the town clerk of Shrewsbury Town Council.
03:55Cool, thank you.
03:56David Basmer, the mayor of Shrewsbury.
03:59Lionel Morris, chairman of the Registry of Freeman of Shrewsbury.
04:03Okay.
04:05So, why is it important that we're here and doing this?
04:10Probably a daft question, but I'm asking it.
04:12Well, I think we need to recognise that 80 years ago,
04:15it was the culmination of a war that a lot of people gave their lives for.
04:19Yeah.
04:20So that we have peace and freedom now, and we should never forget that.
04:23Totally.
04:24And it's wonderful to come together to celebrate the end of peace, start a peace in Europe.
04:29And it's something, as it gets further and further into the bowels of history,
04:36more and more people coming through possibly are going to take it for granted, aren't they,
04:40this freedom that we have.
04:41So, we need to kind of just be reminded on that level, don't we, as well, really.
04:48There's a flag raising about to take place, I do believe, so that's happening as well.
04:52Yeah, is that in the quarry?
04:53Yes, 9 o'clock in the quarry, we will raise the 80th anniversary of the day flag.
05:00Great stuff.
05:01And that's the start of further activities for the rest of the day.
05:05Mr Mayor will be laying a wreath later on this afternoon.
05:08Okay, yeah.
05:09And it will culminate in the Beacon Inlet at about 12 past 9 tonight.
05:13Where's the beacon?
05:14The beacon, you can't miss it, it's absolutely huge in the quarry.
05:17Ah.
05:18So, entertainment starts at 8 o'clock tonight.
05:20What sort of entertainment is it then?
05:22So, there's lots of singing with the Ronnies.
05:24Oh, okay.
05:25Good old nostalgic singing.
05:26Yeah.
05:27Lots of people who are going to be reciting poems and speeches from the day.
05:34And then we will culminate in the lighting of the beacon.
05:39So, you've heard it here first, folks.
05:40If you've missed the morning call from our Shropshire town crier, Shrewsbury town crier,
05:44get yourself down to Quaddie Park later.
05:47Thank you, guys.
05:51It's a lovely flag, isn't it, guys?
05:53Is this like a flag that's kind of a standard issue across the country?
05:56Yeah.
05:57Is that how it works, yeah?
05:58Yeah, very good.
05:59Great stuff.
06:00That's lovely.
06:01Are you on there, Mr Mayor?
06:02Can we see you?
06:04As a young whiff snapper.
06:05No, I'm not quite.
06:07I'm not that one.
06:08I'm only joking.
06:10Right, we'll let you do your official bit then, gents.
06:13Ladies and Gents.
06:14That's all right.
06:15Is that okay?
06:16Yeah.
06:17Yep.
06:18Stop looking.
06:21That way.
06:22Okay?
06:23Sorry.
06:24I'm not sorry.
06:25You too, Phil.
06:26I'm sorry.
06:27You too.
06:28You too.
06:29I'm sorry.
06:30There.
06:31You too.
06:32I'm not sorry.
06:34You too.
06:35I don't know.
06:36You too.
06:37You too.
06:38You too.
06:39You too.
06:40You too.
06:41Thank you very much.