AS you may appreciate, there has been an increase in VE Day commemorations as the years have passed.

With many veterans in their late nineties, we may not see their likes again.

We went down to the newspaper archive at Harlow Museum to see how anniversaries were reported.

There was nothing reported in 1955 or 1965. But there may have been many reasons for that. People were just getting on with their lives.

It was only after 1985 that there was a move to commemorate the end of the war and sacrifices made.

It was prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, who responded to a question in House of Commons.

Mrs Thatcher said: ‘It is a feeling which I understand,’ she said. ‘I agree that we should have a national celebration. I feel that we should celebrate not only victory but the fact that we have had peace with freedom for 40 years.’

Below are some of the articles from the Harlow Star in 1985 and 1995.