THERE is a full schedule of events planned for Stourport to mark D-Day in Stourport on Thursday (June 6). 

Services commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, entertainment and a fancy dress competition, will be held in the town.

At 8am the Stourport town crier will be reading a proclamation for peace at the Civic Centre followed by town mayor raising the 'Flag of Peace' in Villeneuve-le-Roi Gardens – both of which will be live-streamed on the Stourport Town Council Facebook Page.

Schools have been encouraged to hold an assembly, with a specially written poem “D-Day Heroes” by Roy Palmer, which will be read at 11.00am.

At 3.30pm, Eat, Street, Repeat will host food vendors in the War Memorial Park featuring The Beef Boys, BMK – Fish & Chips, Aurobella Bakes, Army Bar, Rosco’s Coffee Co, E J Ice Cream, with Quads and Castle also set up at the park.

From 4pm until 9pm there will be entertainment, starting with DJ Stretch, who will be joined in the lead up to the Beacon Lighting Ceremony by “Ralph’s Angels” Offmore Primary Schools Staff Choir, Kidderminster Male Voice Choir and others.

From 4pm to 4.45pm, people can also join historian Geoff Shaw, in Stourport Community Centre, for a free talk on Stourport’s contribution to the D-Day invasion and it’s role in the Second World War. There will be artifacts on hand and two re-enactors at the event.

From 6.30pm to 8.30pm, The Parish Church of St Bartholomew (Areley Kings) team of tower bell ringers will be ringing six bells to mark 'World in Ringing out for Peace.'

From 9.05pm to 9.30pm the Beacon Lighting Ceremony will commence with a welcome by Reverend Carey Saleh and culminating with the Stourport Carnival Queen lighting the Lamp of Peace and the Beacon Lighting at 9.15pm.

A fancy dress competition will also be held on the day, with the council encouraging people to dress-up in 1940s outfits or favourite red, white and blue outfits.

Meanwhile, residents have praised council gardeners for a floral spitfire on display by the war memorial.