she worked on a cafe on a key bridge which is now called pegasus bridge, it was the first key moments here today to give her recollection of that, she said that it was terrifying that the british were arrived, had arrived, we are free, she said. the british had arrived. we see now, memorial is being laid in staffordshire, just as they have been in normandy and finally, this memorial which can erase the thousands and thousands, 24,000 british men who were killed in the conflict in northern france, up in the conflict in northern france, up to august that year, are now commemorated as people are saying this morning, forevermore etched in stone. , . . this morning, forevermore etched in stone. ., this morning, forevermore etched in stone. . ., this morning, forevermore etched in stone. ., ., ., stone. graham, you have spoken to veterans there. _ stone. graham, you have spoken to veterans there. i _ stone. graham, you have spoken to veterans there. i saw _ stone. graham, you have spoken to veterans there. i saw you _ stone. graham, you have spoken to veterans there. i saw you speaking | v

but the people of normandy haven't forgotten and the famous pegasus bridge over the 0rne canal is onceench re—enactors. british visitors will have to wait a little to see the beaches again and relive in their minds the excitement and the sacrifice of those terrible days. one thing is sure — when they do come, it is here at the normandy memorial that they will gather. hugh schofield, bbc news, normandy. and hugh is in ver—sur—mer in normandy where today's events are taking place. yes, and the ceremony is getting under way, at the moment it isjust as service announcements talking about covid and how to respect the rules. in the next 20 minutes, as the timetable suggests, we should get the ceremony proper under way and there will be this live transmission going over to veterans who are gathered in staffordshire at the national arboretum. here the audience is pretty sparse, there are about 100 dignitaries led by the british ambassador in france and the french defence minister is here and then gather on the other side are local people from the town of ver—sur—mer and it's been very importan

there are the acts of heroism that have entered the annals of d—day, the capture of pegasus bridge ands crouched on their assault craft battling seasickness in the heavy swell waiting for the moment the front ramp came down. on the warships of the royal navy at sea, in the air with the bombers and fighters of the royal air force and our allies, these are the men who enabled liberty to regain her foothold on the european continent on the 6th ofjune1944. and who in the days and weeks that followed lifted the shackles of tyranny, hedge by normandy head shall, mile by bloody mile. i know how reluctant veterans are to be described as heroes. the real heroes who always say those who never came home, your mates. their names are here no, thanks to you, together in this place of honour. behind every one of them is an individual story, a father, a son, brother, a daughter, an uncle or grandfather or even a great—grandfather and a family whose lives were changed forever. men like this lieutenant of the royal navy volunteer reserve who landed in the us sector and was killed on d—day plus five. his

but the people of normandy haven't forgotten and the famous pegasus bridge over the 0rne canal is oncene of french re—enactors. british visitors will have to wait a little to see the beaches again and relive in their minds the excitement and the sacrifice of those terrible days. one thing is sure — when they do come, it is here at the normandy memorial that they will gather. and hugh is in ver—sur—mer in normandy where today's events are taking place. it's a very beautiful memorial. tell us more about what will be happening there today. us more about what will be happening there toda . , ~ there today. events will kick off in about an hour— there today. events will kick off in about an hour from _ there today. events will kick off in about an hour from now _ there today. events will kick off in about an hour from now and - about an hour from now and rehearsals are going on now, you may hear sound check there is a piper who has been playing the pipes, security has arrived, there have been sniffer dogs and it will get under way in about an hour, it will not be an elaborate ceremony, it w

but the people of normandy haven't forgotten and the famous pegasus bridge over the canal is once againctors. the petition will have to wait a little to see the beaches again and we live in the minds the site —— excitement and sacrifice of those terrible days. one thing is sure, when they do come, it is here at the normandy memorial that they will gather. and hugh schofield is in the town of ver—sur—mer in normandy, where the memorial has been built. it is going to be a very poignant day. tt it is going to be a very poignant da . , ., . ., , day. it is, of course. it will get under way _ day. it is, of course. it will get under way here _ day. it is, of course. it will get under way here in _ day. it is, of course. it will get under way here in four - day. it is, of course. it will get under way here in four hours l day. it is, of course. it will get| under way here in four hours or day. it is, of course. it will get - under way here in four hours or so. you can see behind me there are only a small number of chairs set out, ab 100 official guests. the british ambassador is going to be h