SCHOOLS and Scouts across Chester have been commended for their activities paying tribute to VE Day.

Three pupils from Acresfield Primary School in Upton took top spots in a county-wide VE Day poetry competition.

Gabi Nesbitt’s entry won the Chairman’s Special Prize, Luke Cawley won the Lord Mayor’s Special Prize, and Emily Barker bagged a creditable runners-up spot.

Chloe Carberry, deputy headteacher at the school, said: “I’m delighted to see the children did so well in this competition.

“They worked really hard to produce some super poems, all of which were written remotely during our school closure.

“I was also thrilled that all of the children in Year 6 took the time to write a poem and enter the competition. It says a lot about their super attitude and approach to learning and life.”

The competition to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II was organised by Chairman of Cheshire West & Chester Council Cllr Bob Rudd, and Lord Mayor of Chester Cllr Mark Williams.

Footage of the winners reading their poems was played at the VE Civic Service together with Chester Cathedral and the military, aired on May 8.

Elsewhere, Upton Heath Church of England Primary School pupils got stuck in to a variety of online learning experiences around VE Day.

Children have been making wartime food, making a medal for a war hero from materials they have at home and playing games popular in the 1940s such as tiddlywinks, hopscotch and tug of war.

Other activities included learning a song or dance that was popular in 1945, research into why we celebrate VE Day, creating a poem and talking to someone on the phone or via video chat about the first VE Day.

The VE Day learning was led by Upton Heath’s British values and history lead, teacher Judith Lewis, who commented: “Before Covid-19 I had planned that we would have a red, white and blue day on the 8th May with a street party, with all of the children learning WW2 songs and dances, and some local Upton people coming into school to talk about their memories.”

“Thankfully, with the support of our excellent team at Upton Heath, we created resources which encouraged the children to get involved in activities to help them to understand what VE day is all about from home.

"Ideas like calling up or having a video chat with a relative about their memories of the first VE day are so precious and valuable. I'm not sure how many more commemorations like this we will have, as the WW2 generation lessens over time.”

“As the WW2 generation lessens, our ability to access living history also lessens. We then rely on subsequent generations to fly the torch, through passed on memories and artefacts, as well as archive material.”

“If we don't keep the memory of VE day alive, it will be lost for future generations. It is such an important and significant event, and needs always to be remembered as it made our country what it is today. We also need to remember how many people suffered and died to make sure we had victory in Europe.”

Meanwhile, Chester & District Scouts have released a special video to mark VE Day.

Despite the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, 11 Scouts from Chester’s Gang Show came together to record a reading of a new poem, written by one of the show’s long-standing directors, John Lambert.

It's a heart-felt reflection not just on the end of the Second World War, but on today’s heroes fighting to protect us on the new front-line.

Keith Harding, Gang Show producer and group Scout leader at Cestrian Scouts, said: “One of our leaders, Cat Hirst, gave us the idea of making a VE Day tribute, and we all jumped at the chance.

“The poem is so poignant, and the young people who have performed it, and produced the video, have done a fantastic job. They’re a credit to themselves and Scouting.”

The video is available to watch on Chester Scouts Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ChesterScouts .