Malpas VE80 The Homecoming

Malpas VE80 The Homecoming

I hope everyone found something of interest to enjoy during our 4-day Malpas VE80 Homecoming extravaganza.

This has been perhaps the most challenging project Malpas Community Links has ever tackled.

We started to plan immediately after our successful King Charles III coronation event in May 2023.

Many things were arranged, only for us to find we had to revisit them again and again, and even up to 5th May, we were still not certain everything would come together as planned.

The one thing we could never plan for was the weather – but hey-ho someone must have done that for us!

I am not aware of other local communities of our size staging such an elaborate programme, and as quoted by the local press some years back, Malpas has once again "Punched above its weight."

This is down to the Community Links core committee who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to plan the weekend activities, and our army of volunteers who made it happen.

The cost of staging these events continues to grow year on year and we can only do this without the generous support and donations from our local companies and individuals. A big thank you is due to them.

I would also like to thank the senior Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, Mrs Sarah Callander Beckett, and the Lord Mayor of Chester, Councillor Razia Daniels, for their visits and participation in our festivities.

Without the support of our residents, it would all be pointless, so on behalf of Malpas Community Links, a huge thank you is due to everyone for helping to keep our brilliant community spirit alive.

Chris Whitehurst
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Note
We had originally planned the VE Day Celebrations to take place in May 2020 to recognise the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe, but the Covid19 pandemic meant we had to cancel the plans then.

The May 2025 VE Day Celebrations were perhaps our last chance for us to honour anyone who lived through and endured the hardship of those tragic days of World War Two.