Events are taking place across Guernsey today, and over the weekend, to mark the 80th anniversary of the island’s Liberation Day.
Here’s a flavour of what is happening today:
One of the oldest events in Guernsey’s calendar is the Liberation Day 7mile road race. Starting at Rousse at 09:00, the fastest runners will be in town within 40minutes.
There are also the school relay races in town.
The Liberation Parade starts at 11:00, with local and visiting military personnel and dignitaries marching along the St Peter Port seafront.
This year they will be starting at North Beach, heading along the Quay and the Albany, before turning at the Slaughterhouse to head to the Town Church.
Her Royal Highness Princess Anne will inspect the parade ahead of the Liberation Church Service, at which she is giving a reading.
Keep your eyes on the sky this morning too, with a few flypasts planned for today.
At 11:35 the P8A Poseidon plane will be buzzing by over St Peter Port, and not long after, around 11:45, the bigger A400M will make an appearance.
There’ll be further flypasts, and a parachute drop onto L’Eree bay during the afternoon.
More details are available HERE.
St Pierre du Bois has laid on other events at L’Eree for the whole family to enjoy, staring with a church service and a peoples’ parade before entertainment and activities on the common and the beach.
More details are available HERE.
If you’re staying in St Peter Port, there is plenty of entertainment for everyone throughout the day.
North Beach will feature readings from war time memories, and live music performances from the 1940s era throughout the day.
There’ll be music and entertainment at Castle Cornet too.
The Crown Pier has been set up as a ‘childrens’ zone’ with free activities for the day. They include a helter skelter and vintage carousel.
Older children and teenagers may find the Albany more appealing with the new youth club bus and other attractions, including skateboarding.
The Albany is also hosting the Heritage Tent, and the tea tent so people can learn more about the Occupation or take a break.
The afternoon’s entertainment will be dominated by the cavalcade before a re-enactment of the landing of the liberating forces in 1945.
The live feed for the cavalcade starts at 13:45 with Express’s Luke Webb providing the commentary.
Classic and vintage vehicles, civilian and military cars, decorated floats, bicycles, pedestrians and even a tortoise will be making their way into St Peter Port in what is guaranteed to be a memorable spectacle.
The reenactment of the landing of the liberating forces takes place at 17:30 with a large crowd expected to be viewing that at the Albert Marina.
More details on all of the Liberation Day events are available HERE.
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