The day itself will be very different to what was originally planned but still promises to be a special day of remembrance, commemoration and celebration.
VE Day was 75 years ago and HRB will be marking the occasion with a special day of programmes.
Matt Oakley and Neil Ogden will start things off at 8am and 10am respectively previewing what will be happening and remembering what the day is all about. We’ll then join the UK in 2 minutes of silence at 11.
Richard Smith will take an A to Z look at the music and events of 1945 and then from 12pm, a very special 4 hours of programmes as hospital radio across the UK joins up with Absolute Radio 40s for a very special programme.
Hosted by Dave Berry, Jason Manford, Leona Graham and Claire Sturgess,, you are invited to be taken back to the 1940s to celebrate VE Day, with archive interviews, news bulletins and first-hand accounts from veterans and their families.
On sharing the programme with hospital, health and wellbeing broadcasters, Paul Sylvester, Absoulte Radio’s Content Director commented:
“As a nation, we must embrace that wartime spirit right now as we manoeuvre through these difficult times. At Absolute Radio we wanted to do something special for VE Day and we’re proud to be swapping Foo Fighters for Vera Lynn for one day only. Our aim is to reach as many people as possible who are self-isolating and whose celebrations have been postponed.
“As many of you know, hospital radio means a massive amount to me personally (thanks to my time at Scunthorpe Hospital Radio) and I wanted to be able to reach out and use our platform to share this project with you and your audiences. I hope you and your listeners enjoy the show, the music, the stories and that it adds to your already brilliant programming. I’d love to hear your feedback at [email protected] and until we meet again – stay safe, take care, big love and thanks for your work in entertaining the patients.”
Tom Williams, Roger Scott and John McKay will continue to reflect the day’s events from 6 and that will include the “We’ll Meet Again” sing a long at 9. We’ll broadcast The Queen at 10 and then look back to later in 1945 when all fighting ceased in September in Looking Back with Terry Firth. The day will end with an hour-long VE Day music mix.
