Sevenoaks marks VE Day 75 with wreath laying at The Vine and doorstep celebrations

VE Day 75 was celebrated all over the Sevenoaks area on Friday 8 May, but at The Vine War Memorial there was a more sombre events when at 11am Councillor Nicholas Busvine OBE, Mayor of Sevenoaks, laid a wreath.

Sevenoaks Town Mayor Nicholas Busvine at the wreath laying ceremony at The Vine

This was followed by a two-minute silence when the traffic spontaneously stopped and vehicle occupants also paid their respects, together with the small group of residents who had gathered near the Memorial.

The Mayor said: “Thank you to the great generation who sacrificed so much to secure our freedom. We will never forget you.”

In the nearby Vine Gardens peace doves are displayed in the sensory bed tended by Soroptimist International Sevenoaks.

One of the Doves of Peace in The Vine Gardens

These will remain in place for the commemoration of VJ Day 75 on 15 August. One member made 26 doves as part of the 2.6 Challenge to raise funds for Blind Veterans UK.

During the afternoon residents celebrated VE Day by decorating their homes with bunting and flags, having doorstep parties and raising a toast to the National Heroes of WW11.

Several residents held doorstep parties to celebrate VE Day 75 while still maintaining social distancing