'I rang Coalbrookdale's church bells to mark the end of the war - 80 years later, I'm ringing them again'
A Shropshire bellringer will be ringing in the 80th anniversary of VE Day on Thursday, 80 years after he rang the same church bells to celebrate the end of the Second World War.
On May 8, 1945, the Allies formally accepted Germany's unconditional surrender of all military operations.
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Upon their defeat, celebrations erupted throughout the Western world to rejoice after almost six years of fighting.
In Britain, millions took to the streets to celebrate and church bells could be heard ringing up and down the county.
John MacLean of Coalbrookdale, then aged 10, was in the belfry at Holy Trinity Church to ring in the news.
Now, 80 years later, John will be back in the same church tower to ring in the 80th celebration of VE Day.
Aged eight, John and his brother, Donald, had joined a young group of tollers based at the church that had been formed after most men were sent off to fight.
"During the war, they had very few ringers so they started a young team. My older brother joined and as all younger brothers do, I wanted to do whatever my older brother wanted to do," he said.
Having rang the bells so often before and after, John says he remembers little of the actual ringing that took place 80 years ago.
But he recalls vividly the emotions of the day and the party held in Coalbrookdale that evening.
"Everyone felt so relieved. Very, very happy it was all over," he said.
"People at home had a very hard time of it, especially the wives and mothers with their husbands and sons being away at war.
"Someone had built a big bonfire at Cinder Hill and in one of the schools or chapels they had thrown a big party with an evening of entertainment.
"One of the prizes had been a photo of Adolph Hitler that you got to throw on the bonfire."
Now, aged 90 and Tower Captain of the same church tower he learnt the art of bellringing, John is preparing to ring in the celebrations 80 years later.
He said: "I feel very lucky to have done it then, and very lucky to have lived long enough to do it now."
The bells will ring at Coalbrookdale's Holy Trinty Church - and in churches around the country - from 6.30pm on Thursday, May 8.
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