The rain stopped and the clouds parted as the sounds of Land of Hope and Glory drifted up from the Bandstand as the Beacon at the Prospect was lit to mark VE Day commemorations in Ross-on-Wye.

In a short but moving ceremony the Mayor of Ross, Colin Gray, lit the Beacon. The Last Post was played and the standard bearers lowered their standards to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe.

Earlier a crowd of hardy souls gathered at the bandstand to listen to Paul Carpenter sing songs of the era as some remembered the actual VE Day, 70 years ago.

For the full story, read it in this week's edition of the Ross Gazette.