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VE DAY In Henley
Market Pl, Henley-on-Thames RG9 2AQ, UK
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Raising Flag
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Singing 'I Vow To Thee My Country'
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Lighting a Beacon
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Food
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Street Party
Thursday, 8th May – Education Day & Beacon Lighting
📍 Henley Town Hall & Makins Recreation Ground
Local primary school children will explore the stories of 700 WWII evacuees who found safety in Henley. Talks will cover wartime rationing, air raid drills, and school life, with sirens, songs, and readings recreating the era. The day ends with a Fish & Chip supper.
🌟 Beacon Lighting & Proclamation Reading (9:30pm, Makins Recreation Ground) – Join us for a ceremonial beacon lighting and proclamation reading, honouring those who served, with military vehicles on display.
Friday, 9th May – Dance for VE Day
📍 Henley Town Hall | 7:30pm – 11:00pm
Step into the 1940s Dance Hall Experience! Enjoy the BIG R 16-piece swing band, Lindy Hop performances, themed cocktails at The Old Bell’s bar, and a special address by ‘Winston Churchill’.
🎟 Tickets: £25 (+ fees) – Proceeds to Henley Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal
Saturday, 10th May – Henley at War
📍 River & Rowing Museum & Town Centre
Morning talks & guided walks explore wartime Henley. See air raid shelters, the Billeting Office & more.
📍 Henley Market Place | 11:00am – 3:00pm
See a Mark IX Spitfire, meet RAF reenactors, explore WWII vehicles, SOE history, and 1940s life.
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