SK1814 : VJ Day at the National Memorial Arboretum (708)
taken 5 years ago, near to Alrewas, Staffordshire, England


In 2013 the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, announced that Charlie McKeith's design had won the competition to design a memorial that would be laid in the home town of the UKs Victoria Cross recipients. In 2015 Pickles announced that the 145 overseas winners of the award would be honoured at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
Last February my sister visited the National Memorial Arboretum for the first time. Knowing my love of memorials she booked a holiday nearby for our family in August. What we hadn't realised was that Prince Charles and Camilla were coming to head up a 75th anniversary commemoration of the end of hostilities in the far east. We got in as soon as it opened and stayed all day. I still missed a few! One of the best days of my life...