THIS May will see the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day when millions of people celebrated the end of five-and-a-half years of war. It is vital that the anniversary be recognised.

Preparations are in hand to arrange memorial services with prayers, parades and wreath-laying to honour the many members of the armed forces and civilians who gave their lives for their country. It is right to acknowledge this.

However, in most communities there are surviving people who also served or were at school at that time. Their wartime contribution should equally be acknowledged, maybe with a civic reception.

This would enable survivors to reminisce and perhaps students and local historians could record priceless anecdotes, information etc. An exhibition of photos and war mementoes could be put on.

It has been suggested that street parties be arranged. Fine, but these don't just happen. Time is short and arrangements must be made to organise everything including singing and dancing in the street. It must be noisy! Long congas, hokey-hokeys and merriment until midnight.

My recollection is of a day of tremendous joy, relief, happiness, tears. A volcano of sound.

If we leave it another 10 years, there won't be many of us left.

JIM LAWES Park Street, Hereford