Letter from The Pageantmaster to Town and Parish Councils about D-Day 80 – 6th June 2024
Bruno Peek CVO OBE OPR, the Pageantmaster, has written a letter to all UK town and parish council clerks inviting them to light beacons and join the D-Day 80 commemorative celebrations being organised for 6th June 2024 across the UK.
Dear Town or Parish Clerk,
DEVON & D-DAY 80 – 6TH JUNE 2024
As you are aware, we are organising D-Day 80 – 6th June 2024, throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK Overseas Territories and at the site of the British Normandy Memorial, overlooking Gold Beach in Normandy, France, one of the five Beaches landed on 80 years ago on 6th June next year. The event is in celebration and commemoration of this important occasion and will enable communities and individuals to pay their ‘tribute’ to those that gave so much during this campaign to help ensure the freedom we all enjoy today, with the flames from the Beacons representing the ‘light of peace’ that emerged from the dreadful darkness of war all those years ago.
We feel sure you will agree with me/us when we say that individuals and communities of all sizes were deeply affected in many and various ways during WWII. So, with this in mind, we would like to encourage your Town or Parish Council to take part in D-Day 80 on 6th June next year, as we would like to achieve the lighting of at least 80 Beacons per County, within England and Wales, as part of this 80th Anniversary event. We would be extremely grateful if you would be kind enough to discuss your possible involvement with your Council members, at your earliest convenience please, with the view to ensuring we achieve the lighting of this number if Beacons in your County at 9.15pm on 6th June 2024.
Those taking part will be sent the Certificate of Grateful Recognition (found on page 46 of the Guide) enabling them to frame and display it as a lasting reminder of this moment in history commemorated/celebrated. The Guide, the message from the Prime Minister encouraging local communities to take part in lighting Beacons and the logo for your use are all available to download from the D-Day 80 website – www.d-day80beacons.co.uk.
From pages 24 through to 28, you will see there are various types of Beacons that can be used on 6th June, which could be lit on town and village greens, local farms and country estates, or other locations of your choice that night. We do hope that your Town and Parish Council will take part, and look forward to hearing from you in due course and hope that your Beacon is one of the 80 within your County.
My warmest regards to you all,
