TENBURY is set to be the centre of celebrations in recognition of a historic anniversary.

Tenbury Town Council has announced that they will be working together with St Mary’s Church and the Tenbury Branch of the Royal British Legion to host two events to mark the eightieth anniversary of the D-day landings. 

D-day, which is also known as ‘the Normandy landings’ or ‘Operation Overlord’ took place on June 6 1944 and was the largest seaborne invasion in world history. It began the liberation of France and the rest of Western Europe from Axis forces and laid the foundations for the allied victory in the Second World War.

The first of the commemorative events will be a memorial beacon lighting ceremony held at the civic gardens on June 6. The Tenbury Town Band will provide music from 7.30 pm and free refreshments will be available in the pavilion. Attendees will then be invited to participate in a drum head service led by Rev Mark Inglis, with a beacon being lit at 9.15 pm to mark the anniversary.

A similar ceremony will be held at Fort Royal Park in Worcester, with choir and brass band performances, a drum head ceremony and a beacon set to be lit at the same time as its counterpart in Tenbury.

A D-day themed family fun day will then be held at the Burgage on June 8. The event will run from 12 to 5 p.m, with food, drinks, an assault course, a climbing wall, garden games and a balloon blaster all on offer. Music, drama, choirs, cadet drill displays, a youth football tournament, a rowing challenge and other attractions have also been arranged for the days entertainments. St Mary’s Church Fete will be running concurrently, giving locals a variety of activities to choose from throughout the town.

A spokesperson for Tenbury Town Council said that they hope that both the beacon lighting and the family fun day will help mark the historic anniversary, whilst honouring the service and sacrifice of the brave personnel who risked their lives for freedom and peace.