What fresh hell is this? National VE day

[wetpants]

This has popped up on my local FB page, villagers are all up for it too. Apparently it’s a nationwide incentive??

The thing is, most front gardens are tiny or non existent here. There’s no way you could be 2m away from your next door. Also these villagers who are up for this are the same people who few weeks ago cried about a lone bloke sitting on a crass verge, well away from any pedestrians. How is this any different?

I’m not British (have lived here a long time though) so maybe I’m just not getting the fervent VE day misty eyeness

And don’t get me started on 9pm nationwide singalong WHO comes up with these things???

Iamamole I haven’t slagged off “this country” once. Maybe learn to read and then take your bigoted views to the hole where you came from.

Well we've had a nice day. Some in our street did the 1 minute silence on the doorstep at 11am (we missed that) and about half the street sat in the sun and did tea and cake in the front garden at 4pm. Some even had bunting.

Chatted to some across the road neighbours we've not seen for a bit. Not earth shaking but not hardly the drunken carnage suggested up thread either.

So, anyone who isn’t British isn’t allowed to have an opinion?

I love living here and I’m raising two half British half Finns. When I came here 20 years ago, I was meant to stay 1 year to gain work experience and then go back. But within few months I knew I had arrived home and won’t be returning. I loved it because the atmosphere here was so much more relaxed, liberal and you could be anything you wanted. There was a lot more pressure to conform to certain way of life back home.

Now it seems so different, be kind bollocks has seemingly creeped up from nowhere, any criticism is met with cries of be kind!! Or you’re called a hater calling out some mind boggling bollocks. And people’s inability to read really worries me as the PP unwittingly pointed out.

hardly the drunken carnage suggested up thread either

the night is yet young...

@cologne true, but we and most of our street aren't and everybody has sloped off back inside for tea now. I suspect any debauchery will take place indoors.

We've had the Clappers out for 80s cheesy school disco. I'm sure the folks in 1945 would have loved a bit of Tears For Fears and Radio Gaga.

Sorry to disappoint the frothers but no one around here broke lockdown. We had a lovely afternoon tea in the back garden with finger sandwiches, home made scones and cream cakes. Put up some bunting and flags. It was nice to have a celebration and to make today a little different from every other day in lockdown.

Same here Porcupineinwaiting
It's been absolutely lovely here in our road.

Met lots of neighbours (all from about 10' away). Had chats with other neighbours I already knew (Again, from a safe distance). Sat out in the sunshine together with my (adult) dc and chatted. Had lots of cake, scones and tea, then a bit later on a glass of Pimms. A couple of people sang some 1940s songs. Someone who was living in the road on VE day put out a bit of a display of some things he'd saved.
Now we've all gone inside.
Who know what debauchery will go on behind closed doors of course.

We had a 4pm picnic all from front gardens or on our little green, suitably distanced. Bit of chat, bit of cake, bit of wine. Then in for kids bedtime. It was nice.

So, anyone who isn’t British isn’t allowed to have an opinion?

Yes - everybody is allowed an opinion because we live in a democracy and ....if you pay your taxes here, your opinions are more than welcome.

(Think freedom is what so many fought and died for in WW2).

@Iamamoleinahole Not very self-aware, telling someone to get out of the country because it's VE Day. Sounds a bit fascist.

As I said elsewhere, comments like that are why I get twitchy about the whole thing. There's a huge sense on Mumsnet of 'if you don't join in the VE Day celebrations, you're an ungrateful scumbag and you don't deserve freedom'. I'm genuinely surprised no-one has told me or other Jewish posters to be grateful because the Allies liberated the death camps and saved the Jews.

Totally agree have had Vera lynn blaring out, directly outside my flat with families joining in, since 4pm.

Some of our street have been out since 1, with music, kids playing (our street don't believe in social distancing) barking dogs setting each other off, and my ndn slamming doors even louder than their usual house shaking levels. Then it poured and they all scarpered

It’s been nice on my street , something gentle and friendly in this weird time

Thank you PhilS the post has now been deleted, it was the first ever post I’ve reported during my time on MN. But as soon as one goes, another one pops up hectoring us for being “bloody disrespectful” 🙄

It sounds like some of you have had a lovely afternoon.

I thought it sounded like a nice idea until I went out and saw what it was like. Neighbours all in deckchairs sitting a couple of foot away from each other in a token effort at social distancing. Food being dished out round all the houses as people have prepared huge picnics (also documented to Facebook of course to be admired). Still there getting pissed now.

Just really bad taste, what a shame. People are idiots.

We are currently happily sat in the back garden with a bottle of wine.

Out the front started off at about 4pm with everyone in a nice socially distanced gathering. Every hour that passes there are more people and less space.

Well we’ve had a fab day doing exactly this. The best day I’ve had since lock down. 50% of our street still out since 3

@wetpants I've been massively beating myself up for not doing anything. I hate caring so much what strangers think.

“Out the front started off at about 4pm with everyone in a nice socially distanced gathering. Every hour that passes there are more people and less space.”

Really fearing a huge spike of infections in 2/3 weeks. Delighted if I’m wrong.

We've had a lovely day. Everyone was at a distance and we all kept away but were able to catch up and even introduce ourselves to new neighbours. I got my teens out of their darkened bedrooms and we played games and chatted whilst toasting and eating scones.

It would have been mums birthday today. She was in London on VE Day and partied in Trafalgar Square.

**Not for me either . All this glorification of war is definitely not my bag . Our neighbours are ok to say hello but not like our best mates or anything. (Quote)

It’s not about the glorification of war. It’s celebrating the end of the war in Europe, signalling the end of WW2. Men and woman were called to serve and did it. The job was to fight at all costs to end a fascist regime.
And it almost went the other way. WW2 is a big part of our recent history, not just Britain’s but many other countries too.
Putting the current crisis to one side, VE Day is a significant day for many people.