In photos: How towns and villages across Newark and Sherwood celebrated VE Day 80th anniversary

Communities up and down the country came together last week to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

In towns and villages across Newark and Sherwood, dozens of celebratory events were held, from afternoon teas and barbeques, to brass band concerts and beacon light ceremonies.

The historic day was marked in Newark with an nostalgic evening of 1940s music and tunes from classic war films in the Market Place, attended by hundreds of residents.

This was followed by the lighting of a special ‘VE Day 80’ beacon, speeches from dignitaries, and a projection onto the Town Hall featuring poppies and Union Flags.

Those in attendance dressed in vintage clothing and flag flags proudly.

At Nottinghamshire County Show, on Saturday, there were patriotic displays in the main ring from cadets and armed forces personnel on the VE Day parade, which also highlighted the role that farmers and their animals played in the war effort.

Spectators were also treated to a flypast by a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

A travelling "Victory” exhibition also popped up at the County Show as it toured venues across the district including Thoresby Park and Southwell Minster.

Sherwood Forest MP, Michelle Welsh, was out and about, touring events across her constituency

She visited St Paulinus Church in Ollerton, where a moving act of remembrance brought people together in reflection and prayer, and later that evening she joined residents in Calverton for the lighting of the VE Day beacon.

A small flag raising ceremony was held at Long Bennington Bowling Club in the morning, followed by ceremony to light a lamp of peace later that evening.

Balderton Parish Council and the Newark Patriotic Fund, hosted a special VE Day event attended by over 100 people, with an afternoon tea and entertainment at Balderton Village Centre, on Coronation Street.

Funds raised by the event went to help the Patriotic Fund in their efforts to provide support for veterans and their families.

Nesbitt’s Community Café, based at the Tom Mann Pavilion at Newark’s Sconce and Devon Park, held an afternoon tea and fun day on bank holiday Monday in partnership with the Sconce and Devon Community Group.

Schools across the area, including Lowe’s Wong Infants and Orston Primary School, marked the historic occasion with special activities, and many students came to school dressed in red white and blue.

In Farnsfield, a bell ringing and concert took place at the church followed by a beacon lighting at the Cricket Club, and in Orston an afternoon took place at the Village Hall.

Leadenham hosted a free barbeque event at the Village Hall, with family games and activities from all evening.

The church bells were rang to mark the occasion, followed by beacon lighting that night.

Villagers gathered in Gonalston to watch the lighting of their beacon.

In Southwell, the streets were awash with Unions Flags and shop windows were dressed with red, white and blue items.

On Sunday, Southwell Minster also hosted a special VE Day evensong.

In Rushcliffe, Bingham Town Council hosted a beacon lighting ceremony in the Market Place, with a parade of cadets, veterans, and the Royal British Legion.

It wasn’t just village halls celebrating, but historic ones too. At Norwood Park, a special afternoon tea was held to commemorate the estate’s link with the British Red Cross during the war years.

At St Mary’s church in Bleasby, Peter and Barbara Cast organised a VE Day exhibition, with a collection of vintage flags, uniforms, photos, and artifacts from the second world war.

The couple also put together a collection of stories from families in the village and what their relatives did during the war. The exhibition is available to view until the end of this week.

Care homes got into the action too, including at Lacaster Grange, in Newark, where residents enjoy cake, music and entertainers dressed in vintage uniforms.

If you have any photos from VE Day, we would love to see them! Please let us know at: newsview@newarkadvertiser.co.uk