Bunting at the ready! Britons make their final preparations ahead of the 75th anniversary of VE Day tomorrow with millions set to mark the day from their own homes as people recall what they were doing on the day WWII ended in Europe (26 Pics)

Preparations are underway as Britain prepares to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day tomorrow - with bunting already adorning many households and Union Jack flags flying across the country. 

Thousands up and down the country are set to take part in celebrations for VE Day which marks the moment WWII ended in Europe On May 8, 1945.

And while this year the coronavirus lockdown has meant that hundreds of celebrations planned for the 75th anniversary have had to be cancelled, others have adapted and are going ahead.

In the same way that millions of Britons have used technology to satisfy their pub quiz itches, see family members, and even get married, VE Day 2020 is taking place at home and online.

Organisations across the UK will be marking the occasion by taking part in the Nation's Toast, cooking with ration books or even planning a #VEDay75stayathome party.

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Children and staff at Breadsall Primary School in Derby during a VE Day lunch party to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe

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Residents of Portsmouth decorate their home in Union Jack bunting and flags (pictured, Katie Warton with her daughter Evie  in preparation of VE Day tomorrow)

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Molly Meeking, age seven, proudly waves a Union Jack flag against bunting and flags outside her Portsmouth house in preparation of VE Day tomorrow

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While this year the coronavirus lockdown has meant that hundreds of celebrations planned for the 75th anniversary have had to be cancelled, others have adapted and are going ahead (pictured, residents in Portsmouth) 

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Pageantmaster of VE Day 75 Bruno Peek and his dog Wilson, as he decorates his house in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, with flags and bunting to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe

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Bruno Peek has adorned his house in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, with flags and bunting to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe

At 11.15am, the Royal British Legion is inviting the nation to make a cup of tea and listen to its VE Day 75 Livestream, as young and old unite to chat about their shared experiences. Tune in via the Legion's Facebook page or website (britishlegion.org.uk).

At 2.45pm, BBC1 will broadcast Sir Winston Churchill's famous victory speech. Then, at 2.55pm, as BBC coverage continues, the nation's buglers, trumpeters and cornet players will perform the Last Post from their gardens.

At 3pm it's time to raise a glass as Dame Joan Collins, whose childhood home was destroyed in the Blitz as she slept in a Tube station, leads the Nation's Toast from the balcony of her London apartment.

The toast, due to be broadcast on news channels, is on behalf of the women of the nation, acknowledging the many roles they played in the war. The public are encouraged to join in with the words: 'To those who gave so much, we thank you.'

An evening of VE Day-themed viewing on the BBC will lead up to an address by the Queen at 9pm, the exact time her father spoke to the nation 75 years ago.

Then Dame Vera Lynn will lead what promises to be a very loud national rendition of We'll Meet Again. A bit like the weekly Clap for Carers, the hope is that people will sing from their doorsteps.

The anniversary of VE Day brings back memories of parties, bonfires and the ringing of church bells for those who were celebrating at home 75 years ago.

Gillian Holding, 83, from Sheffield, was eight years old when victory in Europe was announced in 1945.

Despite being very young, she remembers growing up to the sound of planes flying overhead and bombs falling and carrying gas masks to and from school.

In 1945, Britons at home knew that the Germans were nearing defeat with the final surrender acting as the 'climax' of expectations, Ms Holding said.

'Union Jack flags were put out of bedroom windows and there was a lot of consternation, I remember that some people didn't get their flag right on the pole,' she said.

'I could hear them that night when I was in bed, singing and dancing down the main road where we lived. Very happy people.

'My father, as soon as he knew the war had ended, went on the train to London to celebrate.

'When I saw pictures of the crowds outside Buckingham Palace and the joy there, I could understand perhaps why he wanted to go.'

A party was organised on the green opposite her grandfather's house, with a spread of sandwiches, tinned peaches and cakes laid on.

Ms Holding added: 'What I do remember - this is me being dead miserable at eight - somebody had provided some jelly and they gave it to the very little ones, and I thought if only I could have had some jelly.'

For a young girl, understanding what the end of the war meant was difficult.

Ms Holding said: 'I can remember asking my parents what on earth would be on the news now that there wasn't war.

'Children today might be thinking what on earth will be on the news when the coronavirus is gone, because war was all that was on the news.'

Just over a year after the war, she remembers receiving a special letter from King George VI sent to thank all children for enduring the war.

George Bradford, 89, was evacuated from London to his grandparents' home in Lincoln during the war and was 14 years old when VE Day arrived.

He remembers silence falling while people listened to Winston Churchill announce the end of the war on the radio.

'Then everybody started chatting, 'I wonder when my husband will be home' or 'I wonder when my son Tommy, Jimmy, when he'll be home', 'when it will all over'.

'It wasn't very long before we heard church bells.

'All the churches all the way down Lincoln high street, going all the way up to the cathedral, all you could hear was peals of bells.'

A 'massive bonfire' was held on Lincoln common, Mr Bradford remembers, with 'mini street parties' taking place the following day.

He later joined the Royal Marines in 1948 and went on to serve for 27 years. 

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Angharad, ten, helps decorate her Union Jack home in West London with bunting ahead of the 75th Anniversary of VE Day

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Pageantmaster of VE Day 75 Bruno Peek and his dog Wilson are preparing to celebrate VE Day in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk

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Wilson the dog has not escaped the VE Day decorations and stands adorned in Union Jack bunting ahead of VE Day tomorrow

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Penny Meeking decorates her Portsmouth home in Union Jack bunting and flags with her children Molly, seven, and Daisy, ten, in preparation of VE Day tomorrow

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With the coronavirus pandemic disrupting all planned mass public celebrations across the nation, local councils have urged residents to celebrate VE Day from the comfort of their own homes (pictured, a resident prepares to celebrate in Portsmouth)

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Children and staff at Breadsall Primary School in Derby during a VE Day lunch party to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe

Alec Borrie, 95, from London, was in a transit camp in Chesterfield when VE Day was announced.

He was on his way back to serving in the SAS after being blown up by a mine.

'I went out and got drunk like about a million others,' he said.

'We had a good evening, I got back to camp about one o'clock and got charged for being late.'

He said he had spent quite some time in the pub trying to strike up a conversation with another man until he realised he was actually looking at himself in a large mirror.

'It sounds daft, but that was a funny thing from the night. We'd already had a few too many then,' he joked.

Mr Borrie, who was the youngest member of the 1st SAS, serving for two years, encouraged people to remember 'those that offered their life and those that gave their life' this VE Day.

Asked how he would be marking the occasion, he joked: 'I won't be getting drunk that's for sure.'

Second World War veterans have described their 'great relief' as victory arrived in Europe 75 years ago, with celebrations including people dancing in the street and climbing up lamp posts.

At 3pm that day, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced on the radio that war in Europe had come to an end, following Germany's surrender the day before.

Dougie Shelley, 94, who joined the Royal Navy aged 17, served as a Seaman Gunner on the Arctic convoys before being posted to the Pacific and Australia.

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A man putting union flag bunting up on his balcony for VE Day at the seaside resort of Weymouth in Dorset on a hot sunny day during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown

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A road of actors, musical directors and choreographers have come together to perform a socially distanced tribute to VE Day from their doorways. The 13 men and women paid tribute to the end of the Second World War with the incredible performance, which included a rendition of Dame Vera Lynns iconic Well Meet Again, outside their homes in Chester, Cheshire

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A giant Union flag on the beach beneath Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, on the north east coast of England, drawn by castle maintenance manager Andrew Heeley, who took over 18,000 steps to complete his creation ahead of commemorations to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day

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A plate of Union Flag cupcakes at Breadsall Primary School in Derby during a VE Day lunch party to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe

He was in a ship in Hong Kong when news came through of Germany's surrender, and said it 'couldn't have been better'.

'The war killed so many people it's unbelievable. All around, the Americans, Russians, all the Allies, the same with the Germans,' Mr Shelley, from Southend, said.

'But you were doing a job, the same as they had to. It's either kill or be killed.

'When we heard about victory in Europe, everybody got together and we all had a good old drink up and jolly up, and couldn't welcome it much better.

'I don't remember any of the conversations I had with people. I don't think I was alive. I think I was half dead. We all were.'

Mr Shelley described how the order of 'splice the mainbrace' - for a double tot of rum - was made for the only time during his service.

He had followed his brother and uncle into Royal Navy, then spent seven months on HMS Meon in the Arctic convoys.

'Every day I wake up I think I'm a lucky man to be here, especially when you think of the thousands who didn't make it,' Mr Shelley, who has been supported by SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, said.

He was finally able to go home from his ship, the Armada, when VJ Day came on August 15.

Mr Shelley worked as a driver for the Ministry of Defence and then joined the Merchant Navy, before leaving to run security at a port.

Charles Boyer, 94, witnessed the German surrender at Luneburg Heath in May 1945 and received the Legion d'honneur for his war efforts, France's highest award.

Mr Boyer, who grew up in Spalding, Lincolnshire, lied about his age to sign up as a 16-year-old for the Royal Norfolk Regiment in 1942.

During his military service he landed at Sword beach on D-Day, saw the 'dreadful' Belsen concentration camp and assisted with security at the Nuremberg trials.

Recalling the moment peace was declared, he said: 'Everybody threw their hats in the air and we had a drink.

'Then we thought, we're going home, we don't know when, but it's over, hooray.'

He received a letter from his father simply saying 'well done, you did your bit, and let's hope we see you soon'.

'It was a great relief, huge sigh of relief all round, including the Germans,' he added.

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Wendy Doig and Roy Barker from St James Church in Woolton Village dress Jimmy the War Horse ahead of VE Day celebrations tomorrow, as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus

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Pageantmaster of VE Day 75 Bruno Peek, decorates his house in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, with flags and bunting to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe

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Children and staff at Breadsall Primary School in Derby during a VE Day lunch party to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe

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Preparations are underway across the country for VE Day tomorrow as bunting adorns many properties across Great Britain

Now living in Maidstone, Kent, in assisted living accommodation provided by the Royal British Legion Industries charity, he urged people to remember the war generation 'with pride'.

He added: 'I think we did an excellent job all round and we were really grateful it came to an end, and let's hope we will have peace again forever.'

Albert Selby, 95, from Birmingham, was just 18 when he was called up in 1942, and served with the 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment of the Army.

He landed on the Normandy beaches at 7am on June 6 1944, and then continued to fight inland to Holland, where he was injured in a blast five months later.

Mr Selby was sent back to the UK to recover from injuries to his body, face and ear, and was discharged from service in 1945.

On VE Day, he saw jubilant celebrations and people climbing lamp posts on the streets of Balsall Heath.

'All the training as a young man in my teens and twenties with the 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment holds great memories for me,' he said.

'Every day I think about my old pals and those events on D-Day as we fought through France and beyond.'

Mr Selby, a great-grandfather of eight, has recently been provided with new windows and doors from the Royal British Legion, which he said 'meant so much'.

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Children and staff at Breadsall Primary School in Derby during a VE Day lunch party to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe

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Pageantmaster of VE Day 75 Bruno Peek, decorates his house in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, with flags and bunting to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe

Get ready to party like it's 1945: Street festivals may be cancelled, but from victory cocktails to a great British sing-along, here's how you can celebrate VE Day in style, 75 years on 

Tomorrow, we mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day. After six years of wartime restrictions, May 8, 1945, saw the nation pour onto the streets to celebrate. 

By midnight an estimated 50,000 people had crowded around London's Piccadilly Circus. 

In different circumstances, some of those celebrations would have unfolded again, with the May Day Bank Holiday moved for that very reason. 

But while lockdown may have put paid to the raft of planned commemorative events, the British spirit is not easily extinguished. 

All over the country, towns, individual streets and all manner of organisations are planning ways in which tomorrow can be a stay-at-home celebration to remember. 

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Children at Breadsall Primary School in Derby during a VE Day lunch party to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe

MOMENTS NOT TO MISS 

Commemorations will begin at 11am with a two-minute silence to honour the generations affected by World War II, and reflect on the devastating impact of Covid-19. 

• At 11.15am, the Royal British Legion is inviting the nation to make a cup of tea and listen to its VE Day 75 Livestream, as young and old unite to chat about their shared experiences. Tune in via the Legion's Facebook page or website (britishlegion.org.uk). 
• At 2.45pm, BBC1 will broadcast Sir Winston Churchill's famous victory speech. Then, at 2.55pm, as BBC coverage continues, the nation's buglers, trumpeters and cornet players will perform the Last Post from their gardens. 
• At 3pm it's time to raise a glass as Dame Joan Collins, whose childhood home was destroyed in the Blitz as she slept in a Tube station, leads the Nation's Toast from the balcony of her London apartment. 
• The toast, due to be broadcast on news channels, is on behalf of the women of the nation, acknowledging the many roles they played in the war. The public are encouraged to join in with the words: 'To those who gave so much, we thank you.' 
• An evening of VE Day-themed viewing on the BBC will lead up to an address by the Queen at 9pm, the exact time her father spoke to the nation 75 years ago. 
• Then Dame Vera Lynn will lead what promises to be a very loud national rendition of We'll Meet Again. A bit like the weekly Clap for Carers, the hope is that people will sing from their doorsteps. 
• The Mail has also organised a 'Salute the Heroes' Spitfire flypast, which will include East Grinstead's Queen Victoria Hospital, Worthing's Care Home for Veterans and the home of Colonel Tom Moore. 
• BRING THE BUNTING In 1945, the Government made red, white and blue bunting available with ration coupons for a month. Making paper bunting with the children is easily done. There are lots of print-out templates online ready for you to colour in, including via BBC Local Radio, as well as VE Day posters and flags. Search for Great British Bunting on the BBC website. For those with scrap fabric to hand, Bletchley Park has an online guide to bunting to sew, plus a no-sewing-required alternative (bletchleypark.org.uk). 
• HAVE A TEA PARTY 
  With social distancing, full-on street parties are impossible. But a 1940s-style tea party at home is easily done, and if you have a big enough front garden, or a balcony, you could hold it there so you can wave at your neighbours to keep up the community feel. 
  However, the Government has made clear celebrations should take place 'in our homes and on our doorsteps, rather than in parades and street parties', so choose your location carefully. 
  Why not put down a picnic blanket and serve up 1940s teatime favourites like cucumber sandwiches or celebration trifle. Remember, baking provisions such as eggs were a precious commodity during the war years, so cooks had to be creative. Wash down with ginger beer, homemade lemonade, or even a gin cocktail. 
  DO A SING-ALONG 
  Take a trip down memory lane and learn what Granny and Grandad might have hummed along to in their youth. 
  Music historian Tom Carradine has great online tutorials to get kids singing along (carradinescockney singalong.co.uk/ve-day) that include Run Rabbit Run and nonsense song Mairzy Doats And Dozy Doats. 
  It will get you in good voice for when the Royal Albert Hall streams a performance by ­Katherine Jenkins that includes The White Cliffs Of Dover on YouTube at 6pm. 
  There will also be a virtual duet of We'll Meet Again with Dame Vera Lynn, who will then lead us all in her bestknown hit for a second time, after the Queen's Speech at 9pm. 
  Time for games Monopoly had been around for ten years by the time VE Day came around. Snakes and ladders was another favourite. 
  Children might enjoy taking chalk out to the front path and playing hopscotch, or setting up some empty plastic bottles for a game of skittles. 
  You could have a competition to see who can make the best paper aeroplane, or go on to online education resource Twinkl (twinkl. co.uk) and check out its VE Day resources, which include a template for making a paper Spitfire. 
  FIND YOUR HISTORY 
  Why not spend some time finding out your family's war story? Perhaps you have relatives who lived through the war you could ask. Family history website Ancestry (ancestry.co.uk) has opened its records for free until Sunday.