York museum which was Second World War base plans VE Day celebrations
The Yorkshire Air Museum in Elvington will hold celebrations to mark VE Day's anniversary on the weekend of May 10 and May 11.
Visitors to the Halifax Way site are encouraged to sport their best 1940s look and pose for photographs next to the venue's reconstructed Halifax bomber and Dakota paratrooper aircraft.
Visitors can pose next to the museum's reconstructed Halifax bomber (Image: Yorkshire Air Museum) During the Second World War RAF Elvington was home to Halifax bombers that flew on operations to Europe from 1943 until the end of the conflict.
Wartime re-enactors, vehicles, and displays will feature in the event called We'll Meet Again after the 1939 song by English singer Vera Lynn.
The on-site street party will also seek to emulate those that took place in May 1945 to celebrate the end of the war in Europe.
RAF Elvington was a base during the Second World War (Image: Yorkshire Air Museum)
Jerry Ibbotson, communications manager at the Yorkshire Air Museum, said: 'We'll Meet Again is always a hugely popular event and we think the street party will be a real hit.
'This year, we've got tables laid out for a street party, and anybody who wants to join in, whether a picnic with them or they buy from our cafe, can sit down and join us.
'There will be bunting and tables will all be dressed with tablecloths – all of that which you would have had at the street parties 80 years ago.'
City of York Council invited streets, communities, neighbours and families to apply for a free temporary street closure for their events and street parties from May 3 up to and including May 8.
Street parties will be held in towns and cities across the UK to mark VE Day's 80th anniversary next month – including community tea parties, 1940s dress-up events, and gatherings aboard Second World War warships.
Victory in Europe Day, known as VE Day, is celebrated on May 8 each year to mark the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Epoch Times
10 hours ago
- Epoch Times
Tourism Australia Taps Robert Irwin to Lure US Travellers Down Under
Australian celebrity Robert Irwin, English television cook Nigella Lawson, Chinese actor Yosh Yu, and other international stars have been unveiled as the new faces to lure overseas tourists Down Under. Videos featuring these celebrities set against iconic Australian landscapes will be part of the federal government's latest tourism campaign aimed at attracting travellers from the UK, United States, China, Japan, and India. Robert Irwin, the son of the late Australian wildlife icon Steve Irwin, will front the advertisement for the American market. Wellness advocate Sara Tendulkar will appear in ads for India, while Chinese actor Yosh (Shi) Yu, the UK's Lawson, and Japanese comedian Abareru-kun will feature in commercials airing in their respective home countries. The $130 million campaign expands on Tourism Australia's ' Come and Say G'day ' initiative, which introduced the beloved animated mascot Ruby the Roo. In the video, an American tourist loses his phone in the desert—only to be rescued by Irwin. 'G'day mate, just going for a stroll?' Irwin greets him. Looking defeated, the tourist responds, 'An emu took my phone.' Irwin grins and says, 'Well, we better go find it.' Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said traditionally, tourism campaigns use one famous face across all markets. 'But for our latest campaign Ruby will be joined by well-known talent from five different markets to showcase personal lasting memories of a holiday to Australia,' Harrison said. 'These international stars combine with local talent ... to create bespoke invitations for five markets.' Tourism Recovery in Australia Since the resumption of global travel, Australia's domestic tourism industry has grown with the number of international arrivals expected to reach a record 10 million in 2026 and 11.8 million in 2029. More than 700,000 jobs and 360,000 Australian businesses depend on tourism, while Chinese travellers remain Australia's second biggest cohort of tourists behind New Zealand, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The advertisements will go live in China on TV and online from Aug. 7. 'Tourism is the lifeblood of so many communities right around the country and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs,' said Tourism Minister Don Farrell. Nonetheless, industry experts have expressed caution about over-relying on China. 'China's slowing economic growth, youth unemployment, and property sector instability could hinder outbound travel demand. A weaker yuan may reduce international travel spend,' said Janene Wardrop, principal of event planning business Ascot Event Management, in a previous interview with The Epoch Times. Wardrop stated that the three main risks of over-relying on the China market are strategic, economic, and geopolitical. 'AUST needs to ensure there is diversification,' she wrote. 'AUST needs to ensure they support the China market whilst also building resilience by building their tourism market by product diversification, risk scenario planning, market diversification and to create constructive and culturally tailored marketing to Tier 2/3 cities. 'Priority should be on quality over quantity and attract high-yield, low-impact travellers.'


Boston Globe
13 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Stella Rimington, Britain's first female MI5 spy chief, dies at 90
MI5's current director-general, Born in London in 1935, Ms. Rimington studied English at Edinburgh University and later worked as an archivist. She was living in India with her diplomat husband in the mid-1960s when she was recruited by MI5, Britain's domestic security service, as a part-time clerk and typist in its New Delhi office. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up She joined the agency full-time after moving back to London in 1969 and rose through the ranks, overcoming rules that kept the most prestigious roles, such as recruiting and running agents, for men only. Advertisement She worked in each of MI5's operational branches — counterespionage, counterterrorism, and counter-subversion — at a time when MI5's work included sniffing out Soviet spies, infiltrating Northern Ireland militant groups, and, controversially, spying on leftists, trade union leaders, and other alleged subversives. Ms. Rimington acknowledged in 2001 that the organization 'may have been a bit over-enthusiastic' in some of its snooping on domestic targets during the Cold War. Advertisement Ms. Rimington was appointed MI5 director-general in 1992, the first head of the organization to be named in public, and her tenure saw the secretive organization become slightly more open. Dench's first appearance as M, a role formerly played by men, was in 'GoldenEye' in 1995. The film's producers said the casting was inspired by Ms. Rimington's appointment. After stepping down in 1996, Ms. Rimington was made a dame, the female equivalent of a knight, by Queen Elizabeth II. Ms. Rimington later published a memoir, 'Open Secret' — to the displeasure of the government — and a series of spy thrillers featuring fictional MI5 officer Liz Carlyle. 'The Devil's Bargain,' published in 2022, introduced a new heroine, CIA officer Manon Tyler. Other women followed her top intelligence jobs. Eliza Manningham-Buller led MI5 between 2002 and 2007. Ms. Rimington and her husband, John Rimington, separated in the 1980s, but moved back in together during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. 'It's a good recipe for marriage, I'd say,' she said. 'Split up, live separately, and return to it later.' She is survived by her husband, two daughters, and five grandchildren.


Tom's Guide
13 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Tom Holland shows off new Spidey suit in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' set photos as production begins
"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" will swing into theaters in less than a year, and now production is officially underway. To celebrate, Tom Holland shared two on-set photos on Instagram, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at what to expect from his fourth outing as Spider-Man. Both shots show the English actor suited up in the web-slinging hero's new costume, standing on top of an armored vehicle with a stunt wire attached to his back. 'Spider-Man Brand New Day 1,' he wrote in the post's caption. Filming officially kicked off in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 1. A post shared by Tom Holland (@tomholland2013) A photo posted by on Holland's posts gave fans a more comprehensive first look at his new Spider-Man suit after Sony unveiled the new design on Saturday. In a teaser video, Holland emerges from the shadows in his redesigned web-slinging get-up to ask: "Are you ready?" The new suit is more reminiscent of the hero's comic book design with vibrant reds and blues. It also has a larger spider symbol on the chest than on the one we saw on Holland's spidey suits in "Spider-Man: Homecoming, "Far From Home" and "No Way Home." Are you ready? - 7.31.2026 2, 2025 The new set photos are the cherry on top of a banner week for "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" news. On Friday, we learned that Mark Ruffalo will reprise his role as Bruce Banner and his mean-green alter ego, The Hul,k in the film. The move had been rumored for some time, but it only solidified as the script took shape and production prepared to get underway this month. Also on the call sheet is "Better Call Saul" star Michael Mando, who will be reprising the role of Scorpion, the villain he first played in 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming." Jon Bernthal is set to reprise his role as the vigilante known as the Punisher, whom he played in the "Daredevil" spin-off series of the same name. "Brand New Day" will also introduce "Stranger Things" star Sadie Sink and Liza Colón-Zayas of "The Bear" fame to the MCU in as-yet unknown roles. Plot details are being kept tightly under wraps, but with "Shang-Chi" director Destin Daniel at the helm, it's bound to be one of Spidey's most action-packed adventures yet. "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" swings into theaters on July 31, 2026. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.