Wiltshire towns to mark VE Day with celebrations across county
A celebration of 'the light of peace' is being held in Royal Wooton Bassett this evening
Wiltshire is marking 80 years since the end of World War Two today with events across the county.
Salisbury Cathedral is being lit in red while Amesbury History Centre is leading a 1940s-style street party.
In Royal Wooton Bassett, commemorations of the historic moment where the battle fields fell silent begin at 9am at the town's War Memorial.
There, Mayor of Royal Wooton Bassett, Pat Farrow, will be joined by the deputy Lord Lieutenant and her fellow Town Councillors as the town crier will read a proclamation and a VE Day flag being raised.
Throughout the day, events are expected to take place at schools across the town before an event in the evening, celebrating the 'light of peace' at Royal Wooton Bassett Rugby Club.
The celebration starts at 6pm and includes a fun fair, 1940s music and dancing, while the army will be showcasing some of the weaponry used in the war, alongside a classic car display.
This runs until 9:30pm, when a beacon will be lit, which will be one of more than 100,000 across the country.
Mayor Farrow hopes locals will take a moment to reflect on the meaning of VE Day celebrations.
"Hopefully people will give some thought to what happened all those years ago and the fact that we have our freedom now because of it," she said.
The Mayor told us that it's vital these moments continue to be remembered, saying: "We mustn't forget we have to learn from the past before we can move forward."
She added: "I don't think we can understand what it must have meant to the people to have lived onto the bombardment and the privations that they'd had for all that time, and then for it to have been over.
"The relief must have been immense, but also the sadness for the ones that didn't come back."
A free shuttle bus service will be in place from Borough Fields car park to the Rugby Club from 5.30pm.