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Freedom March in 2022. Picture: Ray de Jong

The borough will commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day on Thursday, 8 May, with lots of events taking place throughout the day.

Events in Nuneaton will start at 8:30am, with wreaths laid at the Riversley Park War Memorial.

At 9:00am on Nuneaton Town Hall steps, the VE Day flag will be raised and town crier, Paul Gough will cry out a proclamation.

The area outside the building has recently undergone a major makeover which saw the planting areas to the frontage refurbished, with statement hard landscaping along with reinstatement of the floodlighting.

In addition, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has secured funding to install an Armed Forces memorial bench.

This bench will provide a welcome place for rest and reflection for the people of the borough and further confirms the Council’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.

From 1:30pm to 3:30pm at the Town Hall, there will be a meet and greet with 30 Signal Regiment and Royal British Legion.

There will be silhouettes of solders on display and the building will be decorated with bunting.

People can also see a Nuneaton Memories photo display of local VE Day celebrations as well as listen to a performance from the Well Songs singers.

Artefacts from 1945 will be on display and people can find out about the Home Front in Nuneaton and Bedworth and see drawings and pictures celebrating VE80 from school children.

From 3:00pm until 6:00pm, there will be free mechanical ponycycles and 1940s music in the Market Place which will be decked with bunting.

Free all-day parking will be offered at the Harefield Road multi-storey car park.

Bedworth will see around 150 soldiers from the 30 Signal and Queens Gurkha Signals regiments exercise their right to parade through the borough. 

They will form up and fall out at the Almshouses, with the route similar to the Armistice parade route but not going into the cemetery.

The inspection will be in front of the Peace Podium on Sergeant Simon Valentine Way with the parade starting at 9:40am and ending at 11:50am.

Tim Cox, the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire and Karen Lynch, High Sheriff of Warwickshire will be in attendance, along with Nuneaton and Bedworth Mayor Cllr Bill Hancox.

After the parade, Bedworth Armistice Day Parade committee will unveil their latest feature in the 'town that never forgets'.

The bespoke remembrance benches will stand either side of the poignant peace podium on Sergeant Simon Valentine Way. 

There will be road closures in the town in place from 9:30am until 12:00pm at High Street, Sergeant Simon Valentine Way, part of Coventry Road and King Street.

Published: 30 April 2025