A beacon was lit on Glastonbury Tor last night (Wednesday 7 May) to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, as the town paid tribute to those who lived through the Second World War and remembered those who were lost.

The torch was lit by the Mayor of Glastonbury as part of a national programme of beacon lightings taking place across the country to mark the historic date. The ceremony was a solemn and powerful moment, visible for miles across the Somerset Levels.

The lighting of the beacon marks the beginning of a series of commemorative events taking place across Glastonbury to honour the end of the war in Europe in May 1945.

Events included multi-faith prayers at Market Cross from 8.30am, a VE Day proclamation from the Town Crier and a flag-lowering ceremony at 9am.

In the evening a torchlit procession will leave from the Fairfield at 8.30pm, leading to a community service at 8.55pm at the summit of the Tor.

The commemorations will continue into Friday 9 May, when the Red Brick Building will host a special 1940s-themed evening with music from the Shepton Mallet Big Band. The night promises big band classics, dancing, and vintage glamour. Tickets are priced at £15, and fancy dress is encouraged.

Glastonbury is also currently home to a powerful new exhibition, 'Strength and Resilience: Somerset Women in the Second World War', at the Somerset Rural Life Museum. The exhibition, running until 8 June, highlights the extraordinary lives of four Somerset women, including wartime spy Odette Hallowes and pioneering photojournalist Lee Miller. Entry is included with the museum's standard admission.