Vernon Kay's VE Day Tea Party from Beverley filled with music and memories

IT WAS a morning full of upbeat moments and poignant reflections as BBC Radio 2 show host Vernon Kay brought a VE Day Tea Party to Beverley.

- By DEBORAH HALL

Vernon's 9.30am to noon show on Thursday was delivered live to the airwaves from a packed Beverley War Memorial Hall. It featured nostalgic music from the likes of Glenn Miller and Vera Lynn, dance from a local lindy hop troupe Kingston Swing, and recollections from local people who witnessed the spectacle of VE Day for themselves, 80 years ago.

Also welcomed to the tea party was singer Calum Scott, who hails from Beverley, and who performed two songs before hurrying off to catch a train to London to sing at Thursday night's live BBC concert for VE Day 80 from Horse Guards Parade. Civic guests, veterans, WI members and community leaders helped to make up the live audience in the Beverley venue.

The show was opened by the East Riding Town Crier Mike Wood before Glenn Miller's In The Mood got everyone... in the mood for the occasion.

Vernon explained that the whole reason for the visit to Beverley was down to regular listener Linda, who first got in touch with the show last September. She was at her local oncology department waiting for the first of 12 chemotherapy sessions and Vernon wished her luck and asked her to keep the show informed of her progress.

Linda was welcomed to the tea party with Vernon saying it was a “joy and a privilege” to have her there and to see her looking so well.