Retired 'Bates' butcher: I'm planning to unfurl a piece of VE Day history outside my house tomorrow

FLAG THAT STOOD PROUD IN THE MIDDLE OF ATHERSTONE TO SIGNAL END OF WORLD WAR IS FLYING HIGH AGAIN

RETIRED Atherstone butcher Chris Green may have left the bustle of town life to head down the road for the quieter countryside retreat of Sheepy Magna.

For more than a quarter of a century he was Bates the butcher – in a business which went back into the mists of time as a shopping mainstay for townsfolk.

He bought the shop from trading legend Norman Bates in 1986 – having previously run a butcher's in the Long Street premises which is now Ikbal's Kitchen.

Mr Green was butcher through and through – initially retaining a cooked meat business in what is now The Nook hairdressers. Once he had expanded the Bates premises he was able to manage with one shop.

When he sold to Mat Gothard in 2013, one piece of memorabilia connected with those bygone days had firmly become a collector's item as far as he was concerned.

The flag that flew proudly over the Market Street shop on the day victory was declared on May 8, 1945 – marking the end of six long years the town had suffered the ravages of World War Two – was already back at his home.

A little frayed round the edges with a fragile flagpole, the piece of history has been sitting on the altar for many a year at Sheepy's All Saints Church where Mr Green is the PCC secretary.

"It had been used regularly every Remembrance Sunday until a few years ago when a new one was purchased," the 69-year-old told Nub News.

This week Mr Green 'repossessed' the flag for a very important occasion – tomorrow's 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.

He intends to bring back some happy memories raising the standard at his home – just three miles from where it fluttered on a day of huge celebration three quarters of a century ago.

On that day children were hoisted onto shoulders outside the shop as crowds crammed the Market Square – in a great outpouring of pent-up emotions from being under the yoke of global war.

In a striking parallel, tomorrow's celebration is not dissimilar in terms of finding ourselves at the mercy of a deadly enemy – coronavirus instead of Hitler – and wanting to escape the tentacles of oppression.

But according to former stand-in PM Dominic Raab, we will have to resist the temptation a little longer to burst out of our lockdown straightjackets.

Mr Raab has told Atherstone and the nation at large tonight to "follow the guidance" and resist the urge to linger out of doors this bank holiday weekend, despite the sunshine and warm temperatures that has been forecast.

Speaking at the Downing Street briefing, the Foreign Secretary insisted there will be no change to social distancing rules until the Prime Minister makes an address to the nation on Sunday evening.

Mr Raab said on Thursday: "Any changes in the short term will be modest, small, incremental and very carefully monitored."

He added: "For the moment it is really important, particularly as people look towards a warm bank holiday weekend, that we continue to follow the guidance in place at this time."

He denied Boris Johnson had been "unhelpful" in hinting at a change to the lockdown just before the bank holiday, but without offering any detail as to what it might entail.

Much of the UK will be bathed in glorious sunshine, with temperatures expected to soar up to 79F on the VE Day bank holiday on Friday – before falling again over the weekend.

The coronavirus pandemic also means that mass celebrations for the 75th anniversary of VE Day have also been shelved.

Despite the Government's attempts to get the UK to comply fully with the lockdown, researchers have warned that discipline is slipping.

Analysis of geographical data by University College London suggested people's movements had increased since April 19.

What are Mr Green and his wife Julie planning tomorrow to celebrate that 75th anniversary?

"We are having a simple fish and chip meal with five other neighbours in the street – with social distancing in place," he added.

Britain continues to the have the highest number of deaths in Europe from coronavirus. The daily increase saw 539 added to the toll, which now stands at 30,615.

There were 5,614 new recorded cases, with the total at 206,715. The world's figure is now 3.87 million cases and more than 75,000 deaths.

The UK managed 86,583 tests in the 24 hours up to 9am today – the fifth day the Government missed its target of 100,000 a day. The Prime Minister has promised 200,000 daily by the end of the month.