Queensferry Institute set for VE Day 80 celebration

Final preparations are under way for the Deeside VE Day 80 Festival, which begins this Saturday 3 May, with a series of community events taking place across Queensferry and Connah’s Quay.

Final preparations are under way for the Deeside VE Day 80 Festival, which begins this Saturday 3 May, with a series of community events taking place across Queensferry and Connah’s Quay.

The three-day festival is being organised by the Veterans & Community Hub CIC (VC Hub), a not-for-profit organisation led by veterans, working alongside local volunteers.

The programme includes nostalgic gatherings, wartime music and community displays, with venues including the Queensferry War Memorial Institute and the VC Hub’s Caffi NaaFi site on Fron Road, Connah’s Quay.

Kicking off the commemorations is a Wartime Afternoon Tea on Saturday from 2pm to 5pm at the Institute, a building described by organisers as “virtually unchanged since 1945.”

The event will feature period music from host Ian Gibbons and a performance by local singer Bev Rogers, who will bring some of the era’s most popular songs to life.

Naomi Horlock, Director of Partnerships & Engagement at the VC Hub CIC, said:

“We’ve been working hard to make this happen, with incredible support from 2 Sisters Food Group Sandycroft. The festival is a joint effort involving volunteers, the three town councils of Queensferry, Shotton and Connah’s Quay, local businesses and community performers.”

Staff from 2 Sisters Food Group played a key part in preparing the grounds at the Queensferry Institute for Saturday’s event, decorating the building inside and out and helping install the festival banner.

Special thanks were also extended to Claire and the team at Double Click Design and Print CIC, who created the promotional flyers and banner for the weekend’s events.

The festival runs from Saturday 3 May to Monday 5 May, with further events planned at the VC Hub’s Caffi NaaFi in Connah’s Quay and at other local venues.