VE Day 75

The Bank Holiday weekend of 8th/9th/10th May was set to include a huge nationwide celebration to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day - the end of the Second World War in Europe.

As a result of the Covid-19 lockdown - most celebrations have either been cancelled or postponed. Activities would have included street parties, exhibitions, parades and other community events.

The organisers of 'VE Day 75' hope to move some of the planned activities to the weekend of 15th/16th August (the 75th anniversary of VJ Day - Victory over Japan Day).

For more information and updates, visit the 'VE Day 75' website.

Many folk had intended to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day by organising street parties. Some have now decided to arrange 'stay at home street parties' instead.

If you organise a 'stay at home street party' on 8th May - send your pics to Village Voices Publishing for inclusion in a future community magazine. Get in touch by emailing: office@villagevoicespublishing.co.uk

During these odd and worrying lockdown times, I'm going through my local history collection and archive. 

A few years ago I bought 49 copies of a WW2 magazine called 'The War Illustrated'. I'm checking each magazine to see if I can find any items relating to the Hoo Peninsula and Medway Towns - for inclusion in my local history columns in the Village Voices Community Magazine and the Strood & Hoo Peninsula Times.

  

Kingsnorth Air Station

The Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust installed a memorial at Kingsnorth Industrial Estate near Hoo on 6th October - in recognition of where a Royal Navy Airship Station (and later RAF) airfield once stood. 

The memorial was initiated and privately-funded by Kenneth Bannerman from the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust.

You can find out more about this memorial (and the work of the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust) by clicking here.

  

The Beacon of Beacon Hill

I recently went searching for the original ‘beacon’ of Beacon Hill on the Chattenden/Upnor border.

The beacon is a circular mound - with a diameter of around 30 metres. A WW2 pillbox was built on the 6.5 metre-high scheduled monument, but previously there would have been a fire basket or brazier (on a pole) on the top. The mound appears on maps as far back as 1570.

The mound is on private land, but you can walk near to it - just walk along public right of way RS116 at the end of Beacon Hill Lane.