VE Day Celebrations

The town of Christchurch came together to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe) with a vibrant, free, family-friendly celebration on Christchurch Quay, which successfully occurred on Thursday, 8th May 2025.

Bourne Water Dragons were not about to miss out on this opportunity to celebrate Victory Day when on the 8th May 1945 fighting ceased with Nazi Germany. War is unbelievably sad, and whilst acknowledging this, we celebrated the fact that we were successful in freeing Europe whilst remembering and saying prayers for those who made this possible.

We dressed our Dragon Boat in Union Flags and carried handheld flags in our life jackets to wave once we were on shore. We could hear that the celebrations were in full swing with music capturing the spirit of the wartime era, as we paddled down the River Stour. Our helm pulled in against the quayside, and we tied off in front of spectators and friends of Bourne Water Dragons. After a photo session, we dispersed to take in the atmosphere. The Last Post was played on the bugle striking every emotional nerve in us as we silently listened whilst our thoughts went to those who gave their life for peace. A one-minute silence was observed by many.

Some of our dragons were enchanted by the historical atmosphere of WWII military vehicles and were immersed in history as they took in the sights of these iconic vehicles. We were in awe of the servicemen who attended the celebration, in full uniform.

Time went so quickly, and it was soon necessary to board the Dragon Boat for the homeward journey, which found many of us deep in thought as we paddled rhythmically back to base.

Our thoughts are with the servicemen and families of WWII.