YORK was determined to press ahead today with celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day - undeterred by the coronavirus lockdown.

The Minster was staging a virtual service, a bugler was due to play the Last Post outside a funeral director’s premises, church bells were set to ring in Haxby - and residents in a York suburb were organising a socially distanced street party in their front gardens.

Karen Garrity, of Ullswater, Woodthorpe, said it was a sociable street with a good community spirit and so she decided to instigate the party at 2pm today.

“People can have a picnic in their own garden, and open a bottle or put the kettle on,” she said.

She said she had asked residents on social media, and put a leaflet through letter boxes, asking if they would like to take part and many had said they would get involved.

She added that she had been decorating her window, trellis and lampposts with red, white and blue and also a silhouette of two soldiers.

The Minster’s Canon Precentor, Canon Victoria Johnson, was joined by the Revd Richard Hall, Chaplain to the 2nd Signal Regiment, York and the Revd David Barrett, Assistant Chaplain General, 1st United Kingdom Division, for today’s virtual service, which was recorded with mobile phones and then edited and will be uploaded to the cathedral’s website at noon.

She said the lockdown made it impossible for communities to come together to mark an important milestone in the country’s history.

“We hope that this virtual service will provide people with a spiritual space to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of the wartime generation and, at this particular time, to reflect on the courage, professionalism and commitment of everyone working to keep us safe from Covid-19,” she added.

At St Mary’s Church in Haxby, the bells will be rung at 3pm and a display has been created outside, including a 1940s Union Jack, bunting, red, white and blue flowers and memories from local people.

At J Rymer Funeral Directors, which played a critical role during the war, a bugler will play a rendition of The Last Post outside the premises in Penley’s Grove Street, with flags displayed as well as ledgers showing details of funerals conducted 75 years ago.

Meanwhile, the Royal British Legion was inviting people across all generations and communities to mark the anniversary with a two minute silence at 11am "to honour the service and sacrifice of the Second World War Generation and to reflect on the devastating impact that Covid-19 has had on so many lives across the World".

It said: "There is no right or wrong way to take part in the silence, people may wish to stand at their windows, stand at their front door, or simply sit in a quiet moment of reflection.”