A ROSS-on-Wye care home has marked the anniversary of Victory in Europe Day by dressing up in their 1940s-inspired glad rags.

Residents and staff of Ross Court enjoyed an afternoon of big band music and dancing on VE day’s 79th anniversary on May 8.

Head chef Helena Jenkins prepared a ploughman’s lunch for this day and whipped up a tasty selection of freshly-baked biscuits, sandwiches, cakes and pastries for the occasion, all washed down with pots of tea and a celebratory glass of fizz to mark the occasion.

Residents observed the national two minute silence and listened again to Churchill’s iconic speech accepting Germany’s surrender and an address from the Queen. 

The care home residents reminisced about their memories of VE Day and watched clips of the celebrations that took place outside Buckingham Palace and all across London.

VE Day was the day that marked the end of World War Two, when fighting against Nazi Germany in Europe stopped In 1945 and Prime Minister Winston Churchill made an announcement to the nation on the radio at 3pm confirming that the war in Europe had ended, after Germany's surrender the day before.

Agda-Claudia Vasilateanu, the general manager at Ross Court said: “Many of our residents can remember the end of the war and we all know what it meant for our country so we wanted to celebrate the date and listen to our resident’s memories of the war and the experiences they lived through.

“It was wonderful to reminisce and to celebrate with all the staff and residents here, we’ve all had such fun and lots of cake.”

Many of the residents at Ross Court said they remembered all the family gathering around the radio to listen to Churchill’s speech telling them the war was over, and it still gives them goose bumps now, such an important date. 

Ross Court is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering high-quality care across its care homes and hospitals.