“This is more than a remembrance,” said Revd Canon Will Hughes, repeating the earlier words of King Charles to the crowd gathered on the High Street.

“Today we celebrate and mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War on this day called VJ Day.”

Around 200 people gathered around the memorial last Friday morning for a small but poignant Service to Give Thanks. It was held by Petersfield Town Council and the Royal British Legion to commemorate 80 years since the end of the Second World War.

Dignitaries and veterans took part in the scaled-down ceremony, with standards being raised and lowered at the appropriate times, and the Last Post being sounded ahead of a two-minute silence.

Mayor, Cllr Chris Paige, also read a section from Isaiah before later laying wreaths with others.

Revd Canon Hughes gave a typically moving address, toeing the line perfectly between commemoration and celebration, and urging us to remember the past while reminding us that conflict continues around the world.

He said: “It would be easy to think VE Day a few months ago was enough.

“But the war in the far east was too often called the forgotten front. Because when people came back, they came back to a country that said quite a lot wasn’t the war over months ago? It was not.”

He added: “We come to remind ourselves that a problem is not over when it’s over for us, it is over when it is over and fully done.

“Today we remember with sorrow and gladness the events around the end of the Second World War.”

The service finished with The Thanksgiving, prayers and a musically unaccompanied rendition of the National Anthem, with attendees being urged to sing with gusto.

They did, and we will remember them.