In honour of the 75th anniversary of VE Day, this May bank holiday has been changed around.

Nationwide plans had been drawn up to mark the anniversary of Victory in Europe day at the end of World War Two – but they have had to be scrapped because of the coronavirus lockdown.

Now people across the country are being urged to host a ‘stay at home street party’ – and to celebrate the date with socially distanced activities.

Organisers want people to decorate their home in red, white and blue.

The idea is for neighbours in streets across Britain will come out to drape their homes in flags and bunting – and then enjoy the festivities while observing Government guidelines on social distancing, staying at least two metres apart from others, and not gathering in groups.

Show off your bunting

One of the initiatives put forward in aid of VE Day is the BBC’s Make A Difference campaign.

Everyone is asked to show off their bunting displays on social media using the hashtags #GreatBritishBunting and #VEDay75.

So just how can you make your own bunting to inject a little bit of colour into proceedings?

The simplest method in this instance is track down the bunting template pack can be downloaded online at www.bbc.co.uk/makeadifference.

To get started, you’ll need some materials on hand, but these can be anything from paper, cereal boxes, string, ribbon, sweet wrappers, felt pens, poster paint or whatever you can find.

“You can decorate your bunting with pictures of whatever inspires you,” say the BBC, “whether it’s those who fought on the frontline or worked hard on the Homefront, or whether it’s a celebration of enduring peace or your own personal hero.”

Where can I get flags?

If you’d rather get your decorations in pre-made, a quick search of the usual retailers will reward you with both Union Jack bunting and flags in abundance.

Or should that be, in ‘abuntance’?

For instance, Amazon is currently selling this 32ft red, white and blue bunting for £6.99.

This full-size, 5ft flag is available for £3.95, and you can even get a flag-based table cover.

What else is happening?

Despite the current restrictions, VE Day looks set to be a packed day of events and activities to honour the historical anniversary.

At 11am, a two-minute national silence will be held to remember the declaration of victory and the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Between 2.45 and 3.45pm, the first of two special BBC One programmes to mark VE75 will be broadcast, an including extract from Sir Winston Churchill’s victory speech.

Throughout the afternoon, Britons are encouraged to hold 1940s-style afternoon tea parties at home rather than street parties, including their homemade bunting and recipes from the era.

The Queen will then address the nation at 9pm, followed by national doorstep rendition of Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’.