Latest news with #VJday
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Opinion: Hop to It! There is still time to tick off the hares on the art trail
The Hop to It! art trail of hare statues is a great attraction for the town. I love to see the family groups heading round the town centre and further afield. Shopkeepers are reporting that the trail is bringing more customers around and the cafes seem to be doing a good trade. The trail runs till the August 29. For the first and only time, all 131 hares from the art trail will come together for a spectacular send-off. This is in Ipswich Corn Exchange on September 6 and 7. A chance to tick them all off your list. You will have the opportunity to own one of these magnificent hares and piece of art by bidding online or in person at the Hop to it! auction on September 17. New for this year, the art trail is in other local places: Beccles, Lowestoft, Woodbridge and Felixstowe. I was delighted to head to Felixstowe on a family trip to investigate. The hares are mainly in the shopping area of the town, though it seemed that everyone was at the beach that day. Babies having their first paddle, teenagers celebrating their exam results, older folk reading and watching the boats. The water was clear and clean and swimmers were joined by a playful seal bobbing alongside them. I did bump into fellow councillor Bryony Rudkin, who had cycled to Felixstowe, with her husband, to go swimming, which was impressive on both counts! They returned home on the train, with their bikes. Felixstowe and Ipswich - only a short train or bike ride apart! Another place worth visiting in Felixstowe is Landguard Fort which was built to defend the approach to Harwich Harbour, an important port for many centuries. Rather ironic that Britain's main container port came along after the Fort was closed in the fifties. I do have an interest in the Second World War and was interested to see the command centre which co-ordinated the defences of the East coast as well as a range of heavy and light guns for defending against aircraft and ships. The Second World War was centre stage in Ipswich last Friday as we commemorated VJ day – Victory over Japan – at the Ipswich Cenotaph in Christchurch Park. The park was immaculate – well done to the Parks team. VJ day is always in the shadow of VE day – Victory in Europe. I think it's vital to remember the war with Japan as the sacrifice was just as great as in Europe. A local sacrifice was made by the 18th Division – the East Anglian Territorial Army Division – which was sent to Singapore just before the surrender. Many Suffolk men were deployed and repulsed several Japanese attacks. However, they were largely taken prisoner and over one-third of the division's troops died in captivity. I'm sure the brutal treatment of prisoners by the Japanese left the returning heroes scarred for life. On a lighter note, as the refurbishment of the Ipswich Regent Theatre continues, we're asking the public to share ideas of what should be included in a time capsule. What memories, stories, photos, objects or memorabilia do you have that captures what the Regent Theatre means to you and the community? A selection of these ideas will then be sealed in a time capsule during the final stages of the theatre's restoration. When reopened in the future, it will give generations to come a glimpse into the theatre's vibrant history and its importance within the community. These are just some of the things where Ipswich Borough Council are contributing to the enhancement of Ipswich and the surrounding area. Neil MacDonald is Labour leader of Ipswich Borough Council
ITV News
7 days ago
- General
- ITV News
What's happening to commemorate VJ Day across the Midlands?
It's 80 years since 'VJ day' which is often seen as the formal ending to most of the fighting in the second world war when Japan announced they would surrender to the USA, UK and other allies. The National Memorial Arboretum in Lichfield, in Staffordshire is hosting a day of commemoration today at the armed forces memorial with some of the last surviving veterans from the conflict. VJ Day marks the anniversary on 15 August 1945 when Japan announced its surrender to the Allied forces following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, effectively ending the Second World War after six years of conflict. The Royal British Legion in partnership with the government will hold the service which will feature 400 members of the armed forces and include music from military bands, as well as a flypast from the Red Arrows and historic aircraft from the Battle of Britain memorial flight. Thousands of people are expected to attend the event. The service on Friday 15 August at the base of the Armed Forces Memorial will be attended by Second World War veterans, VJ association members, senior politicians and military personnel, remembering the fallen and paying tribute to the British, Commonwealth and Allied veterans who served in the Far East theatres of war, the Pacific and Indian Ocean territories. Veterans attending the Service will include those who served across the Far East and the Pacific, in Burma - now Myanmar – as well as Prisoners of War in the region and veterans stationed in the UK or Commonwealth countries who contributed to the logistical and intelligence war effort. What's going on elsewhere in the West Midlands? Sandwell council will mark the memorial in Oldbury's civic square with a 30 minute service led by the Royal British Legion. In Rugby, a picnic is being hosted at Caldecott park for families and members of the public to attend. People are being told to bring their own picnic treats, blankets, chairs and foster in a community spirit. The community centre in Walsall is hosting a day of themed music, they'll be planting a shrub in their garden of peace as a symbol of remembrance. What's happening in the East Midlands? A ceremony will take place at the Walter Park memorial square in Stapleford to remember the 81 soldiers from Stapleford who died in the war. The event will feature photos and plaques of the soldiers. There's also a service at Derby cathedral in the evening. They say it's important not to forget those who fought in the Far East and the mood of the service will take into account their intense and long-term suffering and the way the war ended. A ceremony will also take place in Market Harborough town centre with an act of remembrance shortly before the national silence at midday.
ITV News
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Hundreds come together to commemorate Armed Forces Day in Cumbria
People across the Border region have celebrated Armed Forces went along to an event at Carlisle Football Club's Fanzone at Brunton Park to see military vehicles from World War Two, and to enjoy performances of military music, parades and stalls. Armed Forces Day is a chance to commemorate the links and extensive history that the military services have in our region. Keith Richardson, from the Royal British Legion in Carlisle, said: "Armed Forces Day is very, very important to current service members, veterans and their families. And there's been an absolutely excellent turnout here. This is the first time that we've had so many forces charitable associations here, and they've all been networking with each other, which is great for the veterans community." He said that it was particularly poignant to remember veterans because it is the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on August the 15th. Cumbria has a strong affiliation with the local regiment and many of its serving soldiers were still fighting in the Far East during the second world war - even after Victory in Europe had been declared. He said: "VJ day that's coming up shortly is very, very important for Cumberland because the the Kings own Border Regiment or the Border Regiment as they were, were still fighting in Japan. "So the locals were still fighting in Japan until VJ day on the 15th of August. So it's very important that we still keep the traditions going and make people remember, because the British Legion and the other charities remember what has gone before us and try and help those that are struggling with any difficulties." Elsewhere in the region, the Armed Forces Day flag has been flying on buildings such as in Coldstream where the British Army's oldest continuously serving regiment the Coldstream Guards, were formed in 1650. Councillor John Greenwell, Champion for Armed Forces and Veterans at Scottish Borders Council, said: "The Borders is steeped in military history. In Coldstream, we're about to have our Civic Week, which commemorates the Battle of Flodden, in 1513. We have the Coldstream Guards, the KOSB."
Scotsman
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
It all boils down to skills, planning and housing
As the events around the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe draw to a close, I've been struck by a dawning appreciation of how my grandparents must have felt in those bright spring days of 1945. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There will undoubtedly have been a national sense of hope and optimism. I wonder if by late summer, when the war in the Pacific concluded with VJ day, my grandparents ever stopped to think that they were entering the 'post-war era'. Pockets of war, and indeed the Cold War itself, have punctuated global affairs since 1945, but those of us born since have never known the sacrifice and privations of war on that scale. We are fortunate to be among the generations who have only ever really known the long peace that Victory in Europe ushered in. Housing costs are eating up incomes, says Alex Cole-Hamilton But the world is changing. Security assumptions and alliances which underwrote that peace are beginning to fracture and fall away. Globalisation is giving way to ambitions of imperial expansion. Free trade is being replaced by punishing tariffs and ordinary people across Scotland are paying the price with soaring costs for everyday essentials, energy and the raw materials that build our homes and fuel our economy. As such Britain and by extension Scotland must look to our own security and national self-sufficiency. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While much of the responsibility for that rightly rests with Westminster, there are things the Scottish Government can and must do to help strengthen Scotland for what is to come. This week the First Minister will set out the programme for government which will define the final year of this Parliamentary session. I took my chance to make the case in parliament for the priorities this government should focus on so that Scotland is ready for a time of global uncertainty, and so we can protect Scottish people and businesses from the worst of its impact. That starts with growing Scotland's economy. That goal is fundamental to how we pay for everything else – GP appointments, social care, schools, potholes, everything. For the Scottish Liberal Democrats that boils down to three key areas of policy; skills, planning and housing. Without a skilled workforce ready to power the industries of the future – like defence, renewables, AI, and precision medicine – Scotland risks being left behind, with those jobs going overseas. Over the past two decades the SNP has presided over the quiet death of further education and reduced our ability to produce the skilled workers Scotland needs. We need to reverse that decline, and fast. Scotland is also actively driving away investment with a planning regime that is ridiculously slow. In parts of Scandinavia, planning takes about seven weeks from application to shovels in the ground – in Scotland planning applications are measured out in years. A faster, simpler planning process would attract investment. Finally, housing. It's eating up more and more of people's pay packets and it means businesses like care homes cannot get workers because they have nowhere to live. Putting more money in people's pockets would be good for the economy while creating and supporting good jobs across the country. People are tired of feeling like things are getting steadily worse with little or no clear plan for how to improve them. Liberal Democrats believe that focusing on these areas will be essential for Scotland to grow our economy while bolstering our self-reliance in changing and uncertain times. Alex Cole-Hamilton is Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and MSP for Edinburgh Western
