Jersey - Liberation Day

[smallhobbit]

A couple of days ago Daughter and I returned, having been on an organised trip to Jersey (an island in the Channel Islands) to celebrate their 80th anniversary of Liberation Day.

While VE Day (Victory in Europe 1945) is celebrated on 8 May, the Channel Islands weren't liberated until 9 May.  As can be imagined, there are always celebrations on this day, and particularly this year, being the 80th.

It begins with a parade, which included a large number of the island's youth organisations:

   

   

   

   

From the parade we made our way round to Liberation Square, where there were the formal speeches and service.  We didn't hear a lot as there were insufficient loadspeakers.

Then there was the re-enactment of the Union Flag being displayed after five years of occupation



And a re-enactment of other soldiers who had landed and raised the flag at the balcony of the Pomme D'Or restaurant



After which, there was a flypast and then a drive past of various vehicles from the time.  No photos as I was too far back in the crowd to get decent ones.

Comments

[debriswoman]

A significant place to be in for the event…great photos 😊

[smallhobbit]

Yes, there's such a sense of history and makes the significance of the event much more real. Thank you!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

So glad you got to be there for the celebration. Looks like good weather.

[smallhobbit]

Yes, it was great - Daughter's idea and a really good one. Weather was excellent.

[adafrog]

Great.

I always emerge Jersey because of the Jersey cow. Tiny deer of a cow, good milk.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you. We saw plenty of Jersey cows, and ate Jersey ice cream while we were there.

[adafrog]

:D
(although my favorite is Brown Swiss)

[rusty_armour]

What a wonderful event to attend! Liberation Day would have been even more significant to Jersey considering that it had been occupied! All of your photos are so colourful and fantastic! It looks like you had beautiful weather for the 80th anniversary. :-D

[smallhobbit]

Yes, it really was a great place to be - and you do get an idea of what a complete relief it was to be liberated. The weather was excellent too :)