Tenby will commemorate the historic 80th anniversary of VE Day in the seaside town this week with a parade and beacon lighting ceremony at Castle Hill.

The Town Council have been in discussions with the local branch of the Royal British Legion to put together a programme of events for VE Day on Thursday, May 8.

Proceedings will start at9 am, with the Town Crier to read the VE Day Proclamation on the town walls turret, to be followed by the raising of the VE Day flag.

This will be followed by a wreath laying at the War Memorial at 11am; and a peal of church bells at 6.30pm; but everything else will be centred around a beacon lighting at 9.30pm on Castle Hill, with the Proclamation being read, and pipes and community singing of ‘I Vow to Thee My Country’.

The parade to the beacon will start in Tudor Square, rather than Castle Square, to make more people around the town, aware of what is going on.

The Chamber of Trade have been asked to encourage businesses in the town to decorate individual frontages too.

The full schedule for the day’s line-up is as follows:

• 9 am, The Town Crier to read the VE Day Proclamation on the town walls turret, to be followed by the raising of the VE Day flag.

• 11 am, a wreath laying ceremony at the War Memorial on South Parade.

• 6.30 pm, Peal of Bells from St Mary’s Church to coincide with a national peal.

• 9 pm, a parade, forming up outside St Mary’s Church to make its way through the town centre up to Castle Hill

• 9.20 pm, community singing of ‘I Vow to Thee My Country’.

• 9.25 pm, The Town Crier to read VE Day Tribute at Castle Hill.

• 9.30 pm, The Mayor will light the beacon to form part of a national chain to be followed by the singing of the National Anthems.