Blackham Village will recognise the VE Day 80 year anniversary in a simple way.

Look out for a display in the Village Bus Shelter showing what life was like in Blackham during WW2, some village memories and other VE Day related information and photographs.

Our Village D-Day Lamp of Peace will be lit at Tommy Corner  each night.

There will be flowers in the churchard and the Tommy Silhouettes will be set up in the church.  

On the 10th May at 4pm villagers will meet at the Church lychgate and will walk down to Tommy Corner for a few moments reflection of all the things we have to be thankful for during this time of peace.

Have a look at our VE Day 80 Blackham Village presentation below.

Celebrate the longest day of the year as a village - we’re creating a festival style party - good food, great music, events and activities.

This is a great chance to catch up with neighbours and friends.

Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to bring your families and friends with you. We’ll supply some food and drink to get the party started but bring something to share too.

This is a once a week village exercise event! It’s great fun!

BETSI-cise is one hour of moving to popular dance tunes projected onto a screen. There’s no need to keep up or follow set dance steps. Just come along, move anyway you like, or just sit & take in the tunes.  Fun without the pressure – no one will be watching!

Plenty of parking, grrovy tunes and a chance to get moving. It costs only £3 a person - no price to pay for sheddng a few pounds of a different type!

We don’t have a pub in Blackham but we have a lovely Village Hall (with a licence!), access to beer, wine and all sots of other beverages at affordable prices. We have a marquee for ourdoor ‘Betsi Arms’ events and a team of people ready to pop up a bar and host a traditional pub experience in the heart of Blackham.

Watch this space for the next pop up bar… it might include traditional bar games like ‘Shove Ha’penny’, Domiones, Cribbage, Skittles or other tabletop games like Scrabble, Connect 4, Jenga and anything else you fancy at the village hall.

It might be a Betsi’s Arms on the Green where you can play petanque, boules, croquet while you grab a drink at the bar as the sun goes down.

Wherever we are, you can bring a crowd or come as you are for a quiet drink, sit and observe or read a book.

The team at BETSI includes someone with 40 years experience in putting on a professional Firework Display using the finest quality fireworks used in the industry. We also have an experienced Risk Assessment team, marshalls, First Aiderand two people with personal licences for selling alcohol plus the usual jolly team of BETSIes.

The first Blackham Family Bonfire Event went off with a bang (whizz, sparkle and fizz). Almost 250 villagers attended and enjoyed mulled wine, toffee apples, bar, a huge bonfire and the most extraordinary fireworks!

2025’s event is already planned and as BETSI is all about including everyone we will continue to make this affordable for all. Please do make a note of this date. You are all welcome.

We had a Dickens of a Good Time! Lots of ffod, fun and laughter… a few cheeky jokes, hilarious poems and a bit of audience participation for those who wanted to. The Secret Santa Sack was bulging with gifts - no one went home empty handed.

Look out for next years’ party - the BETSI Team already have a plan.

As with all our events the ticket price will be low cost as we want everyone to come along (at such an expensive time of year). Join in or just sit back and watch - we don’t mind - just be there!