The day will start with the People’s Service of Thanksgiving at 10am, followed at 11am by a 1940s audience sing-a-long. Then at noon, there will be a performance by the Biberach Youth Orchestra.
A people’s parade is being held on the roadside at 12.30pm, with islanders invited to join in with, or watch and enthusiastically wave flags.
Event organiser Anne Thomas said it was a great location for the event.
‘We are blessed with our location here on the common and beach, which makes for a relaxed and easily accessible environment where our community can come together and connect with each other on this milestone anniversary celebration,’ she said.
Live streaming and big screen facilities will connect L’Eree with the key events in St Peter Port, such as the morning parade, cavalcade and drone show.
In the area will be free children’s games, inflatables, climbing wall, football, tug-of-war and a sandcastle competition.
Live music features all day, with the bar and entertainment marquee open from 11am to 11pm.
There will be film screenings, a book signing, Occupation talks and some historical memorabilia to look back on.
Later in the afternoon there will be a high-tide community swim at 5pm and a meat and cheese/veg draw at 5.30pm.
Any evacuees or those that remained on-island are invited to get in touch and join the L’Eree celebrations. Reserved seating can be arranged and anyone requiring accessible parking is encouraged to get in touch, preferably by email at annethomas@cwgsy.net or via the St Peter’s douzaine rooms.
Additional details and a full programme of timings are to be released in due course.
Schoolchildren play their part in marking Liberation
A special drone photoshoot on the beach at L’Eree saw local schoolchildren standing proudly in formation to create a bird’s-eye image of the number 80 – celebrating this year’s Liberation Day celebrations.
The whole of La Houguette Primary School left their classrooms and took the short ‘trot down the hill’ to their local beach, where they met the Year 6 pupils from Forest Primary School.
By forming a human compass with string, the teachers carved the figure into the sand and organised the pupils onto their marks. The children stood tall on the breezy bay, excitedly waving their Union Jacks and Guernsey flags and smiling up to the sky while Guernsey Press picture editor Peter Frankland captured the aerial image with his drone.
‘Taking the shot was easy,’ said Mr Frankland.
‘It’s the teachers who had the hardest part, rallying the kids.’
Prior to the shot, Mr Frankland secured a detailed risk assessment from the Civil Aviation Authority and gained clearance from air traffic control.
‘It was very exciting,’ said 11-year-old Everly McKenzie, a Forest pupil.
‘It’s marking a really special time,’ said 10-year-old Aoife Manning from La Houguette, ‘which is something that should be remembered.’
Bystander mum Mandy Datt, whose two children, Lily and Carter made up part of the honorary figure, said she was delighted that her children were able to be involved.
‘It keeps the memory alive for the younger generation as well,’ she said.
Forest Primary School headteacher Nicki Wilbraham said she thought the task was ‘a really good opportunity to be part of the community’.
‘It’s quite a nostalgic event and a big part of Guernsey’s culture, heritage and history,’ she said.
‘It will be really good for the children to look back on in the future, to really reflect upon this.’
La Houguette headteacher Claire Judd said the excitement among the pupils was high.
‘They love it,’ she said.
‘They understand what Liberation is about and they were just so excited to be a part of this.’
Though some pupils had been ‘hoping for a beach day’ with their buckets and spades, the chilly wind and call for more Liberation classwork quelled that notion.
‘It was fun while it lasted,’ said 11-year-old Archie Jehan from La Houguette, who also noted the ‘good exercise’ the walk had provided.
Taking the opportunity for a post-photo picnic on the beach, the event also served as a chance for the Year 6 students from each school to meet before many of them start the same secondary school together.
‘They’ve mingled straight away,’ said Mrs Wilbraham.
Forest pupil Ben Bryn, 10, said he had fun taking part in the special project and enjoyed the chance to ‘find some new friends’ who will also be at his new secondary school.
Anne Thomas, one of the organisers of the Liberation Day events planned for L’Eree, had the idea to get the local children involved to help launch the upcoming 80th anniversary celebrations there.
You need to be logged in to comment. If you had an account on our previous site, you can migrate your old account and comment profile to this site by visiting this page and entering the email address for your old account. We'll then send you an email with a link to follow to complete the process.