The Week in the Life column with Keith Tordoff: An interesting shop display to mark VE Day

There will still be ceremonies and celebrations but due to the Coronavirus, not on the scale that would have been organised. I am sure there will still be plenty of Union Jack bunting adorning many a building and some High Streets.

Bev and Phil of Folk Finders Family History at the top of Pateley Bridge High Street have a display in their shop window of the 30 men listed on the Pateley Bridge war memorial who did not return from fighting for our country in the Second World War.

They have created the display for people to look at whilst taking their daily exercise – a fantastic idea and tribute.

I know Roger Stanton MBE Director/Founder of the World War II Escape Lines Memorial Society (ELMS) a registered charity, will also be commemorating VE day. Rog Stanton has supported the Pateley Bridge 1940s event over the years helping people remember the events whilst educating the young.

On the front of ELMS publications the words of Gervase Cowell MBE (1926-2000) are quoted which are: “I help the old remember and the young to understand”.

The present crisis which has been declared a world war against an enemy that cannot be seen has some comparisons with World War Two as our scientists today in 2020 battle to find a vaccination for Covid-19.

This week the Government is taking part in a conference with countries from around the world to plan how international efforts can develop a vaccine. Not a competition but the world against the virus. Our country has a great track record of developing, innovating and delivering solutions for problems which seem insurmountable.

One of the great discoveries of the 20th Century and most powerful weapons in mankind’s armoury against bacterial disease was discovered by Professor Alexander Fleming Professor of bacteriology at the University of London and St Mary’s Hospital medical school. Fleming by pure accident noticed that a deadly microbe culture he had under observation had been spoilt by green mould caused by the chance arrival of a minute airborne fungus spore. Penicillin had been discovered.

Between the original discovery by Fleming years had to pass before a successful means of producing penicillin in a more pure and concentrated form could be found.

In 1938 professor Sir Howard Florey Professor of pathology Oxford University did research which finally led to the success and proved penicillin capable of killing many deadly disease germs.

By 1943 much progress had been made in producing penicillin in laboratories in Britain, Canada, Australia and America.

The wonder drug saved lives and limbs of the wounded on battlefields everywhere and whilst restricted to military use, in 1944 Winston Churchill released it for civilian treatment. Whilst Penicillin was to combat a bacteria, our modern day scientists are working for a treatment for the Covid-19 which is course is a virus.

Our amazing scientists will come up with a wonder drug to save the lives of people around the world protecting them from the invisible enemy. We know that there is a good and reasonable hope of the final victory being soon.