VE Day 2025 – A Heartfelt Thank You from Dunchurch Parish Council

Now that the bunting has come down and the maypole has been packed away, the Parish Council would like to extend its sincere thanks to everyone who played a role in making the event such a success.

The success of the day would not have been possible without the hard work and goodwill of so many people and organisations. While DPC oversaw the event planning, the heart of the celebration came from contributions across the entire village:

• Special thanks go to the Dunchurch WI, Dunchurch Festival Group, Friends of Dunchurch, St Peter’s Church, and Dunchurch Baptist Church for their support.The Dunchurch Junior
• School and the Scouts added colour and creativity with their brilliant artwork.
• The maypole dancing, coordinated by Jane Le Poidevin and performed by local children and friends, was a wonderful highlight.

We would like to thank Rugby Borough Council, particularly Steve Hollis and his team, for traffic management and on-the-day support, and Rugby and Leam First Responders – Sue Waddington and Roddie Grant – for being on hand to ensure everyone’s safety.

We were honoured by the attendance of the Mayor of Rugby, Cllr Simon Ward, who officially opened the event and offered kind words of encouragement.

A number of local businesses generously supported the event, including:
Dunchurch Fish Bar, Huntsman Carvery, Square Coffee, Cuppa, The Green Man, and The Dun Cow.

Thanks also to Sarah and Karl Thrippleton for the use of the Dunchurch Social Club and their ongoing support throughout.

Our sincere thanks to the many volunteers who helped with set-up from 5 a.m., stewarding, and logistics throughout the day. This includes – but is certainly not limited to – Becky Maoudis, Pam Camilleri, Sue Protheroe, Phil Dent, Moz Payne, Abba White, Malcom Garaghty, and Les Pearce.

Musical and performance highlights included:

• The Dunchurch Band, Dunchurch Voices, and soloist Sam Diesch.
• An Air Cadets display and a special appearance by Canadian families linked to the Halifax bomber crew, coordinated by Theo Classsen.
• Talks by Veronica Lowe (on the role of women codebreakers) and wartime memories shared by Bryan Male and June Williams.

We are grateful to Andy Baker, Tom Dove, and team for providing infrastructure and technical support, including tanks, tents, PA system, and staging.

Special recognition goes to Sophie Mack, choreographer of the Headliners and the famously entertaining “Dad’s Army” team. And thank you to Pheobe Wright for managing the music with patience and professionalism.

A special thank you to Sue Protheroe for her tireless dedication – from historical research to the coordination of the “Forgotten Voices” and ensuring the maypole dancing took place.

And finally, thank you to all the residents and visitors who attended and contributed to the warm, respectful, and joyous atmosphere. It is this spirit of togetherness that defines Dunchurch.

We hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did.

With thanks,

Ian Grogan – Chief Warden Hodges
Gary Sly – Captain Mainwaring
Matthew Vaughan – Private Pike