ORGANISERS hope the spirit of wartime Worcester will boost celebrations of the VE Day and VJ Day 60th anniversary.

About 150 people are expected to take part in a march past the Guildhall and a service at Worcester Cathedral on Sunday, the official national day of commemoration for the event.

The Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, Michael Brinton, wants the day to rival the scenes from 1945.

"The world is a hugely different place to the one in 1945, but the passing of 60 years since VE Day and VJ Day is cause for celebration," said Mr Brinton, whose office has helped co-ordinate the plans.

"While we will, of course, be remembering those who died, the event is to be a celebration of the end of the war - in contrast to Remembrance Sunday, which, as its name suggests, has a different purpose.

"Worcestershire had an exemplary track record in both world wars - a fact that I'd very much hope to see reflected as we look back on these two historical occasions.

"I'm pinning my faith on seeing the whole county respond to the anniversary event as if it were the real thing."

British Expeditionary Force survivors, including members of the Dunkirk Veterans' Association, will join the Royal British Legion, Sea Cadets, Air Training Corps, and Worcester and Sherwood Foresters Association during the event.

They will join Mayor of Worcester Coun Aubrey Tarbuck, High Sheriff of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Andrew Grant, the County Patron of the Royal British Legion Lord Sandys and the Lord Lieutenant himself at the service.

A march past the Guildhall will take place after the service at 11.15am before participants congregate at the Territorial Army and Woofers' base in Silver Street.

l A special book has been produced by the Worcester News featuring Second World War memories. The publication, which costs £3.95, is on sale around the county from selected shops, the Worcester News offices in Hylton Road and the Hopmarket, the Malvern Gazette and Evesham Journal.