Poppies

[ramone]

The person narrating the footage said the turning point was Verdun when French people would not give up their country and would rather lay down their lives which came at a heavy toll of approx. 70,000 per month made up of French and German casualties and dead, But given the number of shells fired which is anywhere between 40-45 million is staggering the numbers weren't greater.

That's basically Exeter emptied in 2 months !

 

[DB9]

Numbers we can't begin to comprehend Ramone.

 

[Stelios]

It really is impossible to get your head round the figures. Visiting the the mass war graves of NE France is very sobering.

Key word: "respectfully".

Wearing a poppy and holding an impeccable silence is respectful. Dressing up in a costume (see Stelios' post above) or mowing a poppy shape into the pitch (Torquay) is just "Look at me, see what I can do". When it becomes "me" not "them", then the point has been lost.

I've always thought Remembrance Sunday to be incredibly important but something strange has happened in the past 10 or so years. It's changed. It used to be solemn, quiet and dignified. Very British. but now it starts weeks before with evermore elaborate/ridiculous displays to try and 'out do' the previous year or to look good on TV. It seems to have become a battle as to who can show the most respect. Not very British.

As the veterans of WWI and WWII pass away we seem to have lost something.

 

[Rosencrantz]

I remember going on a school trip to Normandy for a week when 11/12 years old. Pretty much all week the whole group of us kids were as you expect kids to be. Not quite the Bash Street Kids but certainly making the most of being slightly off the leash. Even though we found visits to Arromanche and Point du Hoc pretty interesting (and very much fun at Point du Hoc which as kids looked like the best playground ever with all the craters and bunkers), the volume and hyperactivity did not go down.

That only happened at the American cemetery above Omaha Beach. Never heard a quieter, more sombre bunch of kids. There was barely a sound. The sight of bright white gravestones in perfect lines, seemingly stretching as far as our eyes could see still sticks with me 30 years on.

 

[ramone]

It really is impossible to get your head round the figures. Visiting the the mass war graves of NE France is very sobering.


I've always thought Remembrance Sunday to be incredibly important but something strange has happened in the past 10 or so years. It's changed. It used to be solemn, quiet and dignified. Very British. but now it starts weeks before with evermore elaborate/ridiculous displays to try and 'out do' the previous year or to look good on TV. It seems to have become a battle as to who can show the most respect. Not very British.

As the veterans of WWI and WWII pass away we seem to have lost something.

The Royal British Legion have set times as to when they are allowed to begin the Remembrance campaign and fundraising which are 2 weekends prior to Remembrance Sunday.
If you haven't attended the Cenotaph in London on that Sunday it is still very moving and dignified and tbh even if the TV camera's weren't there the parade would still go ahead as it has done for numerous years, As the older veterans numbers go down some will be replaced by younger men and women like the 28 yr old I was talking with on Monday in the White Ensign Club about his time in.

 

[tavyred]

I've always thought Remembrance Sunday to be incredibly important but something strange has happened in the past 10 or so years. It's changed. It used to be solemn, quiet and dignified. Very British. but now it starts weeks before with evermore elaborate/ridiculous displays to try and 'out do' the previous year or to look good on TV. It seems to have become a battle as to who can show the most respect. Not very British.

As the veterans of WWI and WWII pass away we seem to have lost something.

I think the thing that has changed is that more people have realised that acknowledging the sacrifice of our military is more important than it used to be. The primary reason for that is probably down to this country sending another generation of its military into a couple of wars in recent years.

 

[elginCity]

I've always thought Remembrance Sunday to be incredibly important but something strange has happened in the past 10 or so years. It's changed. It used to be solemn, quiet and dignified. Very British. but now it starts weeks before with evermore elaborate/ridiculous displays to try and 'out do' the previous year or to look good on TV. It seems to have become a battle as to who can show the most respect. Not very British.

As the veterans of WWI and WWII pass away we seem to have lost something.

Fully agree with you. I liken it to Christmas, in recent years ever more commercial and ‘celebrating’ far too early diminishes its value and impact, and loses meaning.

The 1 or 2 min silence at football matches is unnecessary unless the game falls on Remembrance Sunday or Armistice Day, any other day it should be lower key.

 

[Billy The Fish]

On a lighter note, as an ex Serviceman myself and one that appreciates the black humour of the forces, it amuses me to think that the BBC send a team to the Cenotaph and broadcast a minutes' silence to the nation.

 

[ramone]

On a lighter note, as an ex Serviceman myself and one that appreciates the black humour of the forces, it amuses me to think that the BBC send a team to the Cenotaph and broadcast a minutes' silence to the nation.

Many years ago there was a guy on the Red Lion side of the Cenotaph who decided to try and set himself alight for some cause or other in protest which was the wrong place to do it if he was looking for someone to help put him out as the ex squaddies stood near him just move apart and let him carry on.
Squaddies have a strange sense of humour one was heard to say afterwards " If he had got going properly I was gonna warm my hands up"

 

[DB9]

I know it's a week late but thanks Harry