Rallying cry to join Littlehampton’s VE Day service

However, next Friday (May 8) will see mayor Jill Long uniting with Second World War veteran Stanley Northeast to light Littlehampton’s seaside beacon as a sign of respect for those who fell during the war.

A spokeswoman for Littlehampton Town Council, which is organising the day, said: “There is a long tradition of lighting beacons to celebrate significant moments in history and Littlehampton has always been part of that.

“The last time we lit the beacon was in 2012 for the Queen’s diamond jubilee and over 1,000 people came and watched the occasion.

“It would be fantastic to see similar numbers marking this major anniversary.”

The ceremony will take place at 9.30pm, with a cadet providing a musical solo to mark the occasion.

Littlehampton will be one of thousands of towns across the UK that will join in the commemorations, which will also include a Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph, next Friday at 3pm.

The day after, on May 9, there will be a concert in London and a parade of more than 2,000 people from Westminster Abbey to Horse Guards Parade on May 10.