JUST when you thought it was safe to pack away the bunting, Southend Pier is already getting ready for the “biggest ever” VE Day celebrations on the 76th anniversary next year.

Festivities will kick off between May 6 and 9, to not only mark the end of the Second World War, but to also remember Southend’s vital role in the fight.

If the borough had fallen, London would have also been lost.

Organisers also hope to share the tale of HMS Leigh – the pier’s codename in the war – and inspire younger generations to follow in the footsteps of those resourceful men and women who together turned a pleasure pier into a naval battle station.

Next year’s highly-anticipated memorial event is hoped to make up for this year’s planned 75th celebrations, which were cancelled due to coronavirus, and instead replaced by an online festival.

Southend Pier was renamed HMS Leigh when it was taken over by the Royal Navy during the war, and was used as the control point for the River Thames as well as all shipping coming in and out of the Port of London.

Between 1939 and 1945 the 1.3-mile structure, which today is known as the world’s longest pleasure pier, played a vital role in the security of the country.

Southend’s pier railway even worked to deliver supplies and take the wounded to the shore.

Alastair Deacon, HMS Leigh project officer, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for HMS Leigh – Guardian of the Thames – to work with our older and younger communities to bring the hidden history of Second World War Southend back to life and help us all remember how hugely important Southend Pier was to saving this country from invasion during the war.

“The work and sacrifice of the men and women of Southend should not be forgotten.”

In the lead up to the 76th anniversary, the HMS Leigh Team will be working to bring the borough together to celebrate Southend’s Second World War history, with exhibitions, inclusive art activities, performances, and by engaging with local charities.

There will also be a whole host of online mini events to mark some of the most important dates in the history of HMS Leigh and the Second World War in Southend.