16 May 2025
A week on from the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we look at how the milestone was celebrated across the St Albans district.
As the Clock Tower struck nine o’clock on Thursday morning, St Albans Town Crier Stephen Potter read a proclamation marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe which was simultaneously being heard across the UK.
He was joined by St Albans Mayor Cllr Jamie Day and local MP Daisy Cooper, watched on by representatives from the Civic Society, SADC and other local organisations.
The proclamation said: “Eighty years ago today the United Kingdom and its allies from around the globe celebrated VE Day – the end of the war in Europe.
“Today as we come together to commemorate what came to be known as VE Day our thoughts turn to thanksgiving and remembrance of those millions that gave so much to achieve the freedom we all enjoy today.
“We remember those we lost, those who were wounded or scarred, those whose lives were forever changed by war. Nobody was immune from the impact of that terrible conflict. Let us pause to remember their sacrifice.
“We reflect too upon the words of our late and glorious Queen, Elizabeth – ‘Never give up, never despair’ – and so we offer thanksgiving for the selflessness of those who gave up so much in order that future generations should enjoy the blessings of freedom, democracy and peace.
“God save the King!”
This was then followed at 9.30am by the laying of a wreath at the war memorial at the top of St Peter’s Street alongside Cllr Jenni Murray, the Deputy Mayor, John Gauthier from the Royal British Legion, and senior council officials. Canon Margaret Tinsley led prayers at the ceremony.
Those in attendance were joined by local residents in paying their respects to the millions of victims of the Second World War and other conflicts before and since.
VE Day occurred on May 8 1945 when Nazi Germany surrendered to Britain and its allies, bringing an end to the Second World War in Europe.
A veterans’ coffee morning, hosted by the Mayor, took place at the Civic Centre on Thursday morning, and the Union flag was flown from St Albans Museum + Gallery where a new display exploring the varied wartime experiences of local people can now be seen in the Assembly Room.
Among the other events which took place around the district to mark the historic occasion were beacon lightings at Highfield Park, Harpenden Common and Redbourn, joining a nationwide ceremony which saw more than 1,000 beacons lit to mark the anniversary.
The event in Highfield Park was organised by Highfield Park Trust and attended by St Albans Mayor Cllr Jamie Day and Town Crier Stephen Potter.
Tim Abbott, chair of the trust, said afterwards: “Although a elatively simple event, our beacon lightings are incredibly important and we always strive to get the tone right.
“Previous lightings have been commemorations, VE Day 80 was a celebration of Victory in Europe and the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. Our preparations this year were again thorough and we introduced some music from the 1940s and sold cider (Drink for Victory) and nonalcoholic apple cocktails (A Winston Warrior, Blow It Out Your Barracks, Six and Twenty Tootsie Tonic or Hubba Hubba One and Only) to lift the atmosphere. Of course all the apples were grown in our own orchards.
“We asked our community to provide pictures and tell the stories of a relative of lived through the wartime years. There some remarkable contributions, including a submariner who piloted the midget submarine that sunk a German harbour off Bergen in Norway. Something I will now read up on!
“Special thanks should go to Trust employees Sarah Shah, who acted as the event director and Lee Allen, who lit the beacon, whilst we listened to Winston Churchill’s VE Day speech. Our neighbour, Chris, managed the audio.
“At the end of the evening we received so many thanks and positive comments and I know the team were very pleased that all their hard work had been recognised.”
Following the beacon lightings, those in attendance were encouraged to join in a communal singing of I Vow To Thee My Country and the National Anthem.
At St Albans Cathedral there was a special Choral Evensong sung by the Abbey Singers and including prayers for peace across the world.
In celebration of VE Day the bells were rung in St Albans at the Cathedral, St Peter’s and St Stephen’s churches between 6.30pm and 7.30pm.
Back in 1945, VE Day was the first time that most church bells had been rung in over six years, since the beginning of the Second World War.
The St Albans Cathedral bells were lowered to the floor in 1941 until 1944 as it was feared that if the tower was struck, the falling bells would cause significant damage to the building…
Elsewhere in the district, a VE Day lunch took place at the Caledon Community Centre in London Colney, and on Saturday night the Cathedral hosted a VE dance with attendees donning period dress for the occasion.
Will Gibbs, Canon for Mission and Pastoral Care at St Albans Cathedral said: “We were absolutely delighted to mark this important anniversary with such a great event in the Cathedral. It was a great night with all the tickets sold and a great range of guests: from quite a few young adults, to one or two who actually remembered VE Day! We had an amazing time dancing to the wonderful Fleetville Swing Band, and the puddings were delicious!”
At Verulam School, teachers and pupils remembered the occasion with two different stories. The first focused on old boy Michael Boden, from Redbourn, who joined the school in 1938 and whose report stated he was a “brilliant boy at school”.
A keen member of the Home Guard, he eventually joined up and servided with the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment, before dying on October 16 1944, aged just 20, while on operations in Italy.
The second story focused on Olga Hopkins, now 99 and living in Brampton Road, and her extraordinary life of service and dedication.
Aged just 18, she volunteered for the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), beginning her initial training in 1943. Excelling in her intelligence tests, Olga was assigned as a wireless mechanic trainee at the Royal Technical College in Glasgow.
Throughout her service in the WAAF, Olga worked on Blenheim Bombers and Ansons, carrying out radio inspections and transporting radio equipment.
In 1947 she was demobilised from service and went on to study at Cardiff University. She broke new ground in education by becoming the first female teacher at Verulam School, where she taught English.
Her pioneering presence led to a unique tradition as students and staff alike were initially unsure of how to address her. Given her experience in the war, Olga suggested “Ma’am”, a title that continues to be used today.
A member of the congregation at St Albans Cathedral, Olga was honoured as part of the 80th VE Day celebrations at Buckingham Palace.
Speaking to Mail Online, she said she remembered hearing about VE Day as she was lying in bed in a Nissen Hut and listening to the American Forces Network radio.
“Suddenly the programme was interrupted by a tannoy announcement saying, ‘The war is over. The war is over. It’s been signed’. We all jumped out of bed and put our battledress on over our pyjamas. We went to the sergeant’s mess where there was a party going on, so we joined in.
“I remember me and some other girls singing the Cole Porter song Don’t Fence Me In, and I had a whale of a time.”
St Peter’s Church in London Colney celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a cascade of poppies across the front of the church.
This 80th anniversary coincides with the 200th anniversary of the erection of St Peter’s Church. This is being celebrated with a number of events, the next being a summer banquet and art auction on Saturday June 7, with a preview of the 23 paintings – landscapes by James Edwin Brammer- the day before. The proceeds of this and other planned events are being shared between the church and Rennie Grove Peace Hospice.
Photos of VE Day dance, St Peter’s Church and Caledon Community Centre all by John Andrews.
