Remembrance/Armistice Day (11 November)

[glen]

I havent lived in UK for quite a number of years and was wondering if Remembrance Day is still taken as seriously as it used to be.I remember as a young girl and in the city every bus,tram,car and person would stop at 11 am.We in Aussie still have services,wear poppies.I went to a show today for a tribute to Dame Vera Lynn and really enjoyed it.When The singer sang Land of Hope and Glory I had never felt so proud to be English and it brought tears to my eyes.

[iamwoody]

Apparently about 1000 people turned up for the 2 minutes silence at the war memorial outside the city hall in sheffield and where i work at the main Royal Mail depot Big Ben was chimed over the tannoy and everybody was silent for the 2 mins ,i can,t comment on anybody else .

[winks]

Yes quite a lot of people still take Remembrance Day seriously. Myself, my daughter who is only 30, and my husband stood with a few hundred other people to say thank you to the thousand and thousands of young people who paid the ultimate price for what people today take so much for granted, and that is Freedom, because even with all the money, jewels and power in the world without Freedom, it is worth nothing. As the words say "For our tomorrows, they gave their today".

[soft ayperth]

I posted a similar message in a thread on the Sheffield Discussions section but got no fdbk, so I'll have a go on here. I have always been struck by how much more recognition is given to Remembrance Day in North America than in the UK where I grew up. It's a national holiday here, no shops open,all work places and schools closed, no newspapers, big crowds at the war memorial services. I just came back from one and it's bitter cold here. I'm told that in the UK it's a normal working day, except for people pausing for a moment of silence at 11 a.m. Not trying to knock the old country, just puzzled as to why the difference in importance attached to remembering a war where the main theater of activity was outside of Canada and the US, but very much in Britain, Europe, and elsewhere. Anyone any thoughts on this?

 

Prince Charles and Lady C are officiating at the national cenotaph service in Ottawa, which is televised nation-wide. They'll have good impressions to take back with them.

[echo beach]

I posted a similar message in a thread on the Sheffield Discussions section but got no fdbk, so I'll have a go on here. I have always been struck by how much more recognition is given to Remembrance Day in North America than in the UK where I grew up. It's a national holiday here, no shops open,all work places and schools closed, no newspapers, big crowds at the war memorial services. I just came back from one and it's bitter cold here. I'm told that in the UK it's a normal working day, except for people pausing for a moment of silence at 11 a.m. Not trying to knock the old country, just puzzled as to why the difference in importance attached to remembering a war where the main theater of activity was outside of Canada and the US, but very much in Britain, Europe, and elsewhere. Anyone any thoughts on this?

 

Prince Charles and Lady C are officiating at the national cenotaph service in Ottawa, which is televised nation-wide. They'll have good impressions to take back with them.

 

I work in a West Yorkshire high school and at 11 am today (and the same occurs every year at that time ) all work stopped and two minutes silence was observed in memory of all those who have made sacrifices in the various conflicts over the years. We also sell poppies in the weeks leading up to Rememberance Day and hold a special assembly dedicated to it . I'm sure this is the case in most , if not all, schools. Visits have also been made by pupils and staff to the WW1 battlefields and the D Day landing beaches in Northern France.

So our current youngsters are being educated and kept in touch with our Nation's recent past, but as time elapses and generations pass it will inevitably become more distant and maybe less significant. I don't think, however, that people will ever forget the two World Wars, simply because of the vast amount of documentary evidence which exists relating to them.

In terms of a Public holiday, well currently we have less than most other countries; in fact some of our European neighbours have more than double ours, so may be there's a case for one on 11th November.

[chimay]

I work with young people with learning difficulties and challenging behaviour. We observe the two minute silence. We always explain to the young people what the silence is for. No matter what their difficulties/behaviour (ADD, ADHD, ASD etc) everyone observes the silence.

[Floridablade]

I'm a great believer in honouring the young people who served during the Legal wars, I served for 25 years, but these latest in Iraq and Afghanistan are a disgrace to the USA and Britain. Just consider the number of people in the Middle east who have lost their lives through our two countries illegal actions. Please make it known to your MP that this mass murder cannot be tolerated any longer.

[soft ayperth]

Good for you echo beach and chimay.You're doing the right thing, educating young people about the sacrifices that young men and women made to give us the freedom which we often take for granted. I just think though that when everything stops, a public holiday with all amenities closed, it focuses the mind on what the day is all about. I wonder if it used to be a public holiday in the UK, maybe just after ww2. I don't remember.

[DUFFEMS]

Good for you echo beach and chimay.You're doing the right thing, educating young people about the sacrifices that young men and women made to give us the freedom which we often take for granted. I just think though that when everything stops, a public holiday with all amenities closed, it focuses the mind on what the day is all about. I wonder if it used to be a public holiday in the UK, maybe just after ww2. I don't remember.

It was never a public holiday in my lifetime. I recall the selling of poppies in school, a prefect would be sent around the classes to sell them at certain times but, we never had any money to buy a poppy though my parents bought one from the street poppy sellers.

We acknlowledged the 11:00 a.m. 2 minutes silence in school if 11th. November fell on a school day but, our household usually went to Barkers Pool on Remembrance Sunday itself as we had family members who died in both WW1 & WW2.

 

Duffems

[soft ayperth]

You're undoubtedly right, Duffems. It's unlikely that after all these years there will be a change in that. Similarly, I don't see the situation over here changing either. Canadians and without doubt Americans are very proud of their role in the two WWs. When I used to live in Newfoundland, I taught at Memorial University of Newfoundland. It was named in memory of the soldiers of the Newfoundland regiment who died at Beaumont Hamel in WW1. One year, the university made the mistake of holding classes on Nov 11th. There was a public outcry, especially from the Canadian Legion. They never made that mistake again. To save on class time, they made sure that the midterm break always took in Nov 11th, even though it was really two thirds into the term.