TWO massive celebrations are being planned around this year's early May Bank Holiday.

The VE Day weekend will mark the anniversary of the end of the Second World War on May 8 1945, while the Monday (May 11) is Somerset Day.

Some communities are planning to combine both landmark occasions by reflecting on what took place in their village or town 75 years ago.

Among the events is a 1940s-style tea dance at the Royal Bath and West Showground with Bertie's Big Band replicating the music of Glen Miller.

Buiding on the success of previous Somerset Days, there are already plenty of exciting activities planned for the Bank Holiday weekend.

The eat:Taunton food and drink festival - which attracted more than 24,000 people last year - will again be held in the centre of Taunton on Saturday, May 9.

And plans are also being put in place to encourage all 569 parish churches in the Bath and Wells diocese to celebrate over the weekend by staging open days and ringing the church bells over the weekend.

The wealth of young talent in the county will be recognised at the 12th Pride Of Somerset Youth Awards at Bridgwater and Taunton College on Wednesday, May 6.

Organised by Taunton Rotary and hosted by BBC Somerset, the awards will pay tribute to inspirational young people in the county.

And around 120,000 students and pupils in schools will be encouraged to join in a Somerset-themed non-uniform day, raising money for the Somerset Crisis Fund, on Monday, May 11.

There's a choral evensong at Wells Cathedral at 3pm on Sunday (May 10).

Somerset Day events will continue into the following weekend with the popular Town Criers competition on Saturday, May 16, held in Ilminster as part of the town’s celebrations.

Somerset Day founder Nigel Muers-Raby said: "We want this year to be a bumper year for celebrating all that is great about our county.

"It will be a wonderful opportunity for communities, villages, towns and organisations to have some fun while raising funds for much-needed projects and charities either in their community or throughout Somerset."

People planning to celebrate Somerset Day are asked to register their events at somersetday.com where there is information on what's happening and where.