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Wales and VE Day 80

VE DAY 80: HOW THE NATION WILL REMEMBER FALLEN HEROES AND CELEBRATE THE PEACE AFTER SIX YEARS OF WAR

On Thursday 8 May 2025, the nation will come together to remember the millions that paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting and securing the freedom we all enjoy today.

From early morning when the sun rises to evening as night descends, church bells will ring out, special flags will be flown, town criers will proclaim the victory, the haunting sound of bagpipes will fill the air and, in a final gesture of homage, beacons and Lamp Lights of Peace will be lit to signify the light that emerged from the darkness of war.

TOWN CRIERS, PIPERS and OTHERS will join thousands of others wanting to remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women who took part in WWII, not only from our country, but other countries that fought side by side with us during the dreadful dark days of war.

Tredegar Town Council is very proud to take part in celebrations and commemorate, as follows:

• 'Ringing out in Celebration' 6.30 p.m.

To be held at St. George's Church to participate in commemorations with the ringing of the Church bell to mark what was achieved on 8 May 1945

• Beacons and Lamp Lights of Peace 9.30 p.m.

Lighting of the Beacon at the Aneurin Bevan Stones, Bryn Serth, Tredegar NP22 4NZ

To include: collective sing – I Vow to Thee my Country at 9.30 pm

All welcome – the public are encouraged to come together at this “one special moment in time”

More detailed plans for Wales and VE Day 80 - 8 May 2025 - can be found on the website -www.VEday80.org.uk

Summer Band Concert

Summer Band Concerts - Monmouth Big Band

The concert will be held in the Bandstand (weather permitting) starting at 3pm.

These are concerts are FREE so come along and enjoy this wonderful entertainment.

Refreshments are available to purchase from the Orchid House Cafe at Bedwellty House or bring along a picnic.

Further information available on Tel: 01495 722352

Summer Band Concert

Summer Band Concerts - City of Cardiff Melingriffith Band. 

The concert will be held in the Bandstand (weather permitting) starting at 3pm.

These are concerts are FREE so come along and enjoy this wonderful entertainment.

Refreshments are available to purchase from the Orchid House Cafe at Bedwellty House or bring along a picnic.

Further information available on Tel: 01495 722352

Summer Band Concerts

Summer Band Concerts - Tongwynlais Temperance Band. 

The concert will be held in the Bandstand (weather permitting) starting at 3pm.

These are concerts are FREE so come along and enjoy this wonderful entertainment.

Refreshments are available to purchase from the Orchid House Cafe at Bedwellty House or bring along a picnic.

Further information available on Tel: 01495 722352

Summer Band Concerts

Summer Band Concerts - Dixieland Swing Band. 

The concert will be held in the Bandstand (weather permitting) starting at 3pm.

These are concerts are FREE so come along and enjoy this wonderful entertainment.

Refreshments are available to purchase from the Orchid House Cafe at Bedwellty House or bring along a picnic.

Further information available on Tel: 01495 722352

Summer Band Concerts

Summer Band Concerts - Abergavenny Borough Band. 

The concert will be held in the Bandstand (weather permitting) starting at 3pm.

These are concerts are FREE so come along and enjoy this wonderful entertainment.

Refreshments are available to purchase from the Orchid House Cafe at Bedwellty House or bring along a picnic.

Further information available on Tel: 01495 722352

Tredegar Armed Forces Day

Tredegar supports Armed Forces Day

To ensure an understanding of the role of the Armed Forces, and to promote how strong the link continues to be between the Forces and Tredegar Town Council; an annual event has been held over many years to celebrate and support Armed Forces Day.  Armed Forces Day 2019 | Flickr  Tredegar's Armed Forces Day 2016 | Flickr  In previous years, the Town Council has used the event to raise money in making a contribution to Forces charities.

The support of the Regimental Band of the Royal Welsh has been vital in highlighting our continued link, bringing colour and life to the event with their performance, as the town of Tredegar has a long history of Band music and has taken the Regimental Band to their hearts.

Many local groups, military personnel and organisations, also support this event year on year providing stalls and displays - ensuring a most enjoyable day for our guests, visitors to Tredegar from far and wide, and the community as a whole - raising the profile of the Forces and also money for charity (locally and nationally), such as Change Step, SAMA Wales 82, RAF Association ‘Wings Appeal’ and the Royal British Legion (Tredegar Branch), to name but a few. 

Aneurin Bevan Day

Prior to the start of the event at Bedwellty Park, there will be a march from Charles Street through town to Bedwellty Park to kick off this year's celebration. Further details are shown in the poster below.

As part of this year's Bevan Festival, Tredegar Town Band will be performing in the Bandstand from 3pm to 5pm.

There will be stalls, displays and activities throughout the day which will run from 12noon to 5pm.

Summer Band Concert

Summer Band Concerts - Abertillery Town Band. 

The concert will be held in the Bandstand (weather permitting) starting at 3pm.

These are concerts are FREE so come along and enjoy this wonderful entertainment.

Refreshments are available to purchase from the Orchid House Cafe at Bedwellty House or bring along a picnic.

Further information available on Tel: 01495 722352

Summer Band Concert

Summer Band Concerts - Skyliners Big Band. 

The concert will be held in the Bandstand (weather permitting) starting at 3pm.

These are concerts are FREE so come along and enjoy this wonderful entertainment.

Refreshments are available to purchase from the Orchid House Cafe at Bedwellty House or bring along a picnic.

Further information available on Tel: 01495 722352

Summer Band Concert

Summer Band Concerts - Markham and District Brass Band. 

The concert will be held in the Bandstand (weather permitting) starting at 3pm.

These are concerts are FREE so come along and enjoy this wonderful entertainment.

Refreshments are available to purchase from the Orchid House Cafe at Bedwellty House or bring along a picnic.

Further information available on Tel: 01495 722352

V J Day 80th Anniversary

Details to be confirmed.

Merchant Navy Day 'Fly the Red Ensign'

Tredegar Town Council will Fly the Red Ensign on Bedwellty House in Tredegar. The Council recognises the enormous contribution the Merchant Navy made during both World Wars and continues to make today.  We are searching for all those who served in the Merchant Navy to come and join our commemorations.

While many people know that the 3^rd of September 1939 marked the outbreak of the Second World War, few are aware that it also marks the first major British maritime casualty. The merchant vessel SS Athenia was torpedoed just a few hours after hostilities were declared with the loss of 128 passengers and crew.

Although many hundreds of merchant ships and thousands of seafarers would meet the same fate in the years to come, the 3^rd September is now enshrined as ‘Merchant Navy Day’ to honour the brave men and women who kept our island nation afloat during both World Wars, and now even during peacetime continue to face the more routine perils of violent storms and mountainous seas.

The Red Ensign, or ‘Red Duster’ as it is affectionately known, has been the recognised flag of the British Merchant Navy since 1854.  It has become inextricably linked with the world-wide trade links that made the United Kingdom’s fortune in the intervening years and, while there are now fewer ships on the home register, many thousands of British seafarers still work on the oceans of the world, underpinning the vast majority of the international commerce that keeps our economy buoyant.

‘We invite all Merchant Seafarers past and present, from Tredegar or elsewhere, to come and join us at Bedwellty House.  Quite a few have joined us in previous years and we hope that this year’s event will attract more veterans and their families.  We sincerely hope that our townsfolk, who show such great support on Remembrance Sunday, will also come and join us on the day.’

If you served in the Merchant Navy, or know someone who did, please contact Clare Price on 01495 722352 or at tredegartc@btconnect.com to let us know if you are able to join us.

Climb the Town Clock

Once again, as part of the Open Doors event, we will be opening the Town Clock to the public from 10am to 12.00pm.

Come along and climb inside the Clock from the base to the top. The climb will be over three sets of steel ladders therefore suitable footwear and general good health is advisable - no flip flops or loose fitting shoes.

A certificate will be presented to all that climb.

Wreath laying Service at Cairn Memorial, Trefil

Tredegar Town Council make their annual visit to the Bomber Crash site at Cefn Yr Ystrad, Trefil where six brave young men lost their lives. They had set out from RAF Marham at 17.20 on 8th December 1940 in their Wellington Bomber heading towards Bordeaux, France. The raid was noted as a success with several targets being hit. On their return, the Bomber T2520 experienced bad weather and thick cloud which resulted in them being separated from the rest of the squadron. The basic and primitive instrumentation lead them off course and running low on fuel they began their descent; but instead of being over the lowlands of East Anglia they were heading towards the Brecon Beacons. The flight ended on 9th December 1940 at 3.12am on the rocky outcrop of Cefn Yr Ystrad to the north of Trefil village. There were no survivors.

If you would like to visit this site and share in remembering the brave crew of young men please meet at Top House Trefil on Saturday 9th November 2024. We will depart at 9.45am for the quarry followed by a short but strenuous walk to the Cairn where a short wreath laying ceremony and act of remembrance will take place.

A warm welcome is extended to everyone but you should have a reasonable level of mobility and fitness and dress appropriately for the terrain and weather conditions.

For further information call Tredegar Town Council on 01495 722352.

Events details & timings are subject to change

Remembrance Sunday

The Service will be held at St George's Church, Tredegar at 10am. After the Service a parade will form outside the Church and march to the War Memorial for a wreath laying Service at 11am.
All members of the public are welcome to join members of the Royal British Legion, former armed forces members and families to commemorate those that have lost their lives for their country.

Act of Remembrance

Members of Tredegar Town Council will be placing a poppy bouquet on each of the three Memorial benches in Tredegar.  The timings are as follows and member of the public are welcome to attend the brief service.

Commercial Street at 11am

Peacehaven at 11.15am

Sirhowy Community Garden at 11.30am.

Timings are subject to change

Christmas Lights Switch On

Once again the event is being held at The Circle with the Switch On by Santa and guest. The evening starts at 5pm.

There will be food and craft stalls, funfair rides and live entertainment.

The Switch On will take place at 6.30pm.  All are welcome.

Event is subject to change.