Let's salute our finest generation

STREET and tea parties, huge crowds, royals, military pomp, a flypast and, of course, the heroic veterans themselves united an often divided country to commemorate and celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

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Buckingham Palace was the backdrop, yet the King and Queen would acknowledge the focus deserved to be on those who fought and worked so hard to defeat Hitler and help save not only Britain but the rest of Europe, arguably much of the world, from Nazi tyranny.

Yesterday was the first of four days of events stretching to Thursday, the anniversary of Victory in Europe, and this may be the final occasion we can honour in appreciable number the thinning ranks of the finest generation.