Margam Country Park will mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day this spring with a powerful and visually striking programme of events designed to honour the end of the Second World War in Europe and pay tribute to the generation who lived through it.
In partnership with the Friends of Margam Park, staff and volunteers have worked together to create a series of installations, exhibitions and commemorative displays that will be open to the public from late April through September, encompassing both VE Day on the 8th May and VJ Day on the 14th August.
Inside Margam Castle, visitors will find the Entrance Hall beautifully decorated with hand-knitted and crocheted red poppies arranged around the fireplace. The staircase hall will feature red poppies, white paper doves and VE Day 80 flags in a display designed to symbolise both remembrance and peace.
Historic photographs from VE Day celebrations, from the 8th May 1945, will be on display, accompanied by atmospheric audio recordings – including Winston Churchill’s VE Day speech, music from the 1940s and memories of local residents who lived through war years.
One of the most ambitious elements of the tribute will be found near the Castle Terrace, where more than 3,000 handmade poppies crafted from upcycled plastic bottle ends and individually painted, will be installed on Monday 28th April. Park staff, volunteers and the Friends of Margam Park will work together to place each poppy by hand, creating a striking sea of red across the landscape. The poppies will remain in place until the 12th May.
Margam’s on-site café, Charlotte’s Pantry, will also take part in the commemoration. From the 28th April each table will feature a small-scale version of the photo exhibition, allowing visitors to quietly reflect while enjoying refreshments. There will also be a VE Day 80 ‘Street Party’ in Charlotte’s Pantry on the 8th May.
Additionally, Charlotte’s Pantry will be serving fish and chips, a nostalgic nod to one of the few foods that remained unrationed during World War Two, helping to boost morale.
Councillor Cen Phillips, Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing said:
“VE Day is an important opportunity to pause and reflect on a generation that endured so much. By marking the occasion we are remembering their stories, celebrating their resilience and giving our local communities a way to come together in tribute. Our heartfelt thanks go to the Friends of Margam Park and volunteers for their support with this installation.”
The display inside Margam Castle will be in place from Monday 28th April and will remain open until the 9th September. The external poppy installation will begin on Monday 28th April and will be in situation along the Broadwalk steps and Castle Terrace for two weeks.
