Rydal pupils and Llandudno care home residents celebrate VE Day using tech

As preparatory school pupils at Rydal Penrhos held a 'Virtual VE Day Party', down the coast residents at the Queen Elizabeth Court care home in Llandudno celebrated with loved ones and friends over the phone and with video chat.

At the home, which is operated by RMBI Care Co, staff organised the calls as well as a VE Day celebration lunch and everyone joined the nation in singing We’ll Meet Again.

Home activities coordinator, Gary Carr, said: “We were determined not to let these difficult times prevent us from marking the anniversary of VE Day, it meant such a lot to our residents. It was a great day which lifted everyone’s spirits.”

Among the residents enjoying the celebrations at the home - which is operated by RMBI Care Co - was Second World War veteran, Eric Betts, who turned 97 on Sunday, May 3.

Mr Betts was a scientific officer, working in The Office of the Admiralty and Marine Affairs in London’s Whitehall, where he designed range finders for guns.

In Colwyn Bay, each year group came together with pupils deciding to wear their uniforms to honour the fallen. as well as handmade red, white a blue party hats following a week of lessons on the subject.

Year three pupil Ellie with sister Charlotte, year six

Prep School head Lucy Davies, said: “All of the families made a wonderful effort to recreate the spirit of 1945 and they didn’t let the current lockdown situation dampen their spirits. A special celebration assembly had been recorded by myself earlier in the day and a display of the tea party photographs is being organised for when school eventually reopens.

“Thank you to everyone who joined in with our 2020 ‘street party’ - we are facing our own difficult situation of a different kind to those in 1945 but we are all playing our part and standing strong as a school community. Well done everyone.”

Year one pupil Phoebe with brother Oscar, year four

Another special attendee was former pupil Marjorie McDonald - nee Hogg -who had been one of the Penrhos College children evacuated to Chatsworth House during the second world war.

Marjorie and her twin sister, Nance, were hoping to re-visit Chatsworth 75 years after they spent VE Day there but the current situation relating to the coronavirus pandemic made this impossible.

“We are hoping that Marjorie, and her sister and friends, will be able to visit us when they do eventually get to re-visit Chatsworth,” added Mrs Davies.

“Sadly 41 members of the Rydal Penrhos community lost their lives in active service during the Second World War.

Year five pupil James with sister Lexi, year four

“Their names not only live on the walls of our school Memorial Hall but also every time that our young pupils find out about the war and are so proud to talk about the part that our school and our families played in it.”