'Virtual' VE Day concert raises spirits and £1,700 for Pendleside Hospice

The concert, which featured talented Pendle singer Josh Hindle entertaining viewers on Facebook with wartime favourites, was organised by the Fence Fund-raising Committee for Pendleside Hospice, after a planned afternoon tea party was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

That did not stop villagers from decorating their homes with Union flags and getting into the sprit of the occasion by tuning in to Josh's comments and making online donations, helping to raise more than £1,700 for the hospice.

Pamela Barton, one of the fund-raisers, said: "We're delighted to announce that over £1,700 was raised by holding a VE Day ‘Stay at Home’ party in Fence, while villagers also hosted their own tea parties or barbecues in their own front gardens.

"Josh Hindle sang wartime and 40s songs during the afternoon for viewers to interact on the Pendleside Hospice Facebook Page with listeners from as far away as Canada and the USA as well as throughout the Pendle area. It was a fantastic afternoon and was enjoyed by young and old alike.

"There was a competition for best photo with the overall winner being Norman Swaine on his 96th birthday."