Should more be done to commemorate VE Day? We asked the people of Preston

Transcript

00:00Eight years ago today Europe celebrated the long-awaited end of one of the darkest chapters

00:04in its history. Victory in Europe Day marked the official surrender of Nazi Germany and

00:08the end of World War II on the continent after almost six years. Streets across the country

00:14erupted in celebration but also remembrance as families and communities mourn lives lost.

00:21On the 80th anniversary of the event we're out in Lancashire asking the public whether we're doing

00:26enough to remember it. As years pass and the number of living veterans dwindles,

00:30is the moment present enough in our national consciousness? We're about to find out.

00:35Overall and if we're not what do you think we can do better?

00:39I think as a society we have come together to acknowledge the EDA. It's been recognised nationally.

00:47Communities are being encouraged to support it in any which way. So for example in Chorley we've

00:53got a church service tonight, we've had Reith Lane ceremonies this morning, a beacon lighting this

00:59evening. So communities have come together to celebrate the EDA. I think what could be done

01:05more is that it could have been integrated more into schools, primary schools and high schools,

01:11to get kids involved a bit more. Because obviously as much as it's important that we don't forget,

01:16if we don't give the educational side of it as well, that becomes a harder thing to do.

01:21Well you're reliant upon the families of the people who've gone if you like and people of

01:26my generation have all got parents who were either in the war or lost in the war. Well that's not going

01:32to be the same for my children. So trying to pass the message through families is the only way.

01:39Keep a few photographs, keep the medals, keep the things that are tangible if you like so that

01:44people can understand it. Yeah so just a case of continuing to educate people and pass it down to

01:49the younger generations. Great. To be talking about it but we also need to be covering the other

01:55conflicts. Yeah. What have been, you know, the Polklands, the Argentina, Northern Ireland. I mean I did

02:0512 months over there when it was posted. Believe me, it was not nice. My grandkids are all very supportive.

02:18They go out to Remembrance. They know what Remembrance Day is. Yeah. But I think it ought to be

02:26taught more about VEDA and VJ Day. Well when you look around, all you can see is just a few things,

02:35you know, and there's nothing else. And when you look at other parts of the country,

02:40they're really going, they're really going, making the effort to celebrate it. And things like,

02:48well my father, he wished his life flying in Halifax Palace. And every time they got in for him,

02:58he had less than a 20% of cats that survived in it. Now people need to know that sort of thing. He was

03:06risking his life so people today could sit around the market square and really enjoyed the sunshine

03:13and go on their mobile phones and all the rest of it because he was prepared to risk his life

03:20for what he believed in.