11:00 on 11.11.11

[Le_Treport]

For the first time in years I was able to be near the Cranleigh war memorial at 11:00 on 11,11.

It was made very moving by its simplicity, lack of co-ordination and silence.

It's dull and overcast with a faint drizzle - typical November weather.

Around 10:50 a few people started standing silently near the war memorial, and over the next 10 mins, around 30 of us did likewise. Then the church bell sounded the top of the hour and the silence began. People further afield also stopped where they were. then imperceptibly at 11:02 the tension (?) broke and people simply moved on as if on cue and got on with their daily lives. Cross section of young/old, men/women, dad with young child, young woman laying a poppy cross.

No fuss, no exhortation, no prayers...... just people coming together and REMEMBERING.

[CROONAERT]

No fuss, no exhortation, no prayers...... just people coming together and REMEMBERING.

Perfect.

Same happened at my nearest memorial today (about a minute's walk from my front door!) ... but there were just 3 of us there. To me, that was far preferable to the 'big do' going on in the town centre (from where the strains of the (tannoyed, pre-recorded) bugle could be heard on the wind).

Dave

[Dolphin]

In our local very large shopping centre there was a request for a minute's silence over the PA system, during which everyone stood still. After that the Last Post was played before normal activities resumed.

It was dignified and well observed.

Gareth

[healdav]

I've just got back home from a small village in France where there was a commemoration Mass in the village church followed by a march to the war memorial. The children from the school met us there. After laying wreaths and reading the message from the President, the schoolchildren read extracts from a letter or two that a local man had written home, and also parts of essays they had written about war (these were all primary children). We then went to the local cemetery to lay a wreath on the graves of men from the village who died in fighting there.

Then, thankfully, we went for a glass of wine (the weather was bitter). To my surprise I met a woman who had a dress that was a poppy flower pattern. One poppy had a black button sewn into it. She just likes poppies and had never heard of the British poppy before.

[JimSmithson]

We continued our school tradition of halting on the hour and having a short poem read by a senior student followed by a moment of reflection. Especially poignant for many of our students as their fathers (and one mother) are in Afghanistan.

Jim

[chrislock]

At 11am this morning, I was one of 4 stood alongside a Great War Memorial in Flanders. Together we stood with our own private thoughts, placed our poppy tributes and that was that. In the afternoon we drove to a lonely Czech Memorial at Vimy and did similar. Salute!

[RammyLad1]

I went to Holcombe emmanuel church today and placed a cross to remember those that fell in the two wars. I was the only one there, although there was a service at St Pauls church in Ramsbottom, I appreciated the solitude and quietness to reflect my thoughts. Peace perfect peace.

Duncan

[Terence Munson]

I paid my respects with a small group of Grimsby RNPS veterans and relatives at the memorial to the Grimsby and Cleethorpes minesweepers who lost their lives in both World Wars. The memorial is in the shadow of the Dock Tower at the Royal Dock Lockhead entrance, where so many passed through, never to return.

It is about four miles from where I live and was an overcoat colder on a grey day with a fresh wind off the water.

The veterans on parade, their number almost doubled by the crew of the Humber Lifeboat that had come across the Humber from Spurn Point, all were stood at ease for a short service. A single RNPS bugler sounded the Last Post and the two minutes silence was observed. All in all a moving service and one I will endeavour to attend in the future.

Terry

[seaJane]

For the first time since I have been working there we had a short service by the flagstaff at work, conducted by an RN chaplain, with both serving forces and civilians in attendance. Very moving.

[Bombadier]

At the secondary school where I work, we have always held our silence at 10.00 am as 11.00 is in the middle of the pupil's break. The new Head this year decided to go for 11.00. You could have heard a pin drop. A lot of pupils spontaneously formed a line across the playground.

It seems as though remembrance really means something to a lot of young people now, not just as something which we do on that date.

Nigel

[Jammydodgers]

Held a minutes slience with my Girlguides before singing taps on Friday night.

I must say I am very proud of my girls, they were so respectful, not easy for a bunch of 11 year old girls who have no concept of war (we're in Dublin).

I was also very impressed with the local school, they obviously did a segment on Friday, as my 7 year old was able to tell me the signifiicance of the poppy & what it is called in Irish, which gave me the perfect oportunity to tell him about my favourite topic (WW1)