Embrace the future of Liberation
WOULD yesterday have satisfied those people who want to see Liberation Day celebrations focused in the centre of St Peter Port? Were those who went to parish parties satisfied with their entertainment and their day out?
These are the key questions as we reflect on another Liberation Day and ponder the future of the nature of the celebrations to mark it.
This year, after two years of experimentation, forced initially by Covid, we reached what we may assume, and certainly what the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture would like us to believe, is the ‘new normal’, of muted celebrations in St Peter Port – but importantly, not none at all – and parish events put on by enthusiastic stalwart volunteers.
Certainly the parishes did not lack for effort, though they were undoubtedly hampered by the grey and drizzly nature of the morning, which rather put paid to plans of picnics in green fields.
A campaigner to save Liberation Day ‘as we knew it’ had posed the question that if the celebrations were deemed disappointing, who would take the blame? ESC or the parishes? It’s a fair point. Certainly pointing the finger at parish volunteers would not be looked upon kindly.
But there must be a very strong chance now that ‘hybrid’ celebrations are the future for Liberation Day. So let’s embrace it.