VE Day from Home - How you can still celebrate in style

This Friday (8^th May) marks the 75^th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, when the guns fell silent at the end of war in Europe.

While the UK may be in lockdown, there are still plenty of ways you can celebrate the big day. Whether it’s socially distanced community celebrations or decorating homes with bunting, Selby College staff and students are finding ways to mark the occasion at home.

Level 2 and 3 Health & Social Care and Childcare students have been making VE day posters, which include facts on either health or childcare during the Second World War.

Ahead of the big day, Selby College's Construction team also put together a video to celebrate the occasion. Hospitality and Catering tutor, Adrian Dawes, has also been baking away this week and has whipped up some delicious Biscoff fudge to enjoy as part of his VE Day spread.

Unsure how to spend the commemorations? Here are some food, decor and baking ideas for VE day celebrations at home:

You can make your very own VE Day Great British bunting to display in your window or on the outside of your house. All you need is paper, cereal boxes, string, ribbon, sweet wrappers, felt pens, poster paint or whatever you can find. You can also decorate the bunting with pictures or drawings which are special to you. Check out the BBC’s ‘Great British Bunting’ how to video, here.

If you don’t want to go to the effort to make your own bunting, you can simply find VE Day bunting and design packs online which you can print out at home. These also include activities for the family to take part in, ensuring that everyone gets to enjoy the celebration.

Baking

Classic scones are quintessentially English, making them perfect for a VE Day refreshment. Hospitality and Catering Tutor, Liz Brighton has shared a delicious scone recipe that you can try in time for VE day. Liz has also been busy putting together a how to video for VE Day roses using fondant icing.

Another characteristically British food is sausage rolls, which are easy to make and can be enjoyed as part of a VE Day picnic. To satisfy your sweet tooth, try out some classic recipes such as a Bakewell Tart, Eton Mess, Lemon Drizzle Cake (courtesy of Adrian) or a Victoria Sponge cake. Or, stick to the theme of the Union Jack and make something both tasty and colourful using red, blue and white toppings or add in some food colouring to your bakes.

Enjoy your baked goods as part of a picnic in your garden or home, or you could even create your own afternoon tea for everyone in your household to enjoy! Alternatively, have your picnic in your front garden so that your neighbours can also join in from a safe distance.

National celebrations

You can also join your neighbours in a national ‘stay at home’ street party whilst following social distancing rules, which includes:

11am – 2 minute silence on your doorstep

3pm – Churchill speech shown on BBC. Following this, grab your picnic blanket or garden table and head to your garden for:

4pm – Tea and Scones (or coffee and cake)

6pm – Dinner and raise your glass to your neighbours

9pm – Nationwide sing-a-long to ‘We’ll meet again’ with Royal British legion after the Queen’s address.

While museums are currently closed right now, the Imperial War Museum will have a soundscape for people to listen to from Friday. This will include four-minute accounts from those who came together during the war and their recollections of what happened when the fighting ended.

No matter how we choose to spend VE Day, the most important thing is that we all remember and pay our gratitude to those who gave so much for our country.