Commemoration of August 4th on BBC

[Old Tom]

Having watched most of the broadcasts yesterday evening starting with Mr Portillos programme I consider the presentation was excellent.

Old Tom

[SteveMarsdin]

I enjoyed the first of the Michael Portillo programmes, particularly the pieces in Metz, Liege and Troisvierges. It was good to see GWF member Dave Heal (healdav) too.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

I thought the whole thing absolutely splendid from Portilo to the end of the Abbey Service. The programme from St. Symphorian captured the mood perfectly, particularly the contributions from the 'non-celebrities'.

[Mark Hone]

I am glad that Huw Edwards now seems to have inherited the mantle of 'BBC Host of Major Events'. For me he has the right mixture of gravitas and decorum and seems to be able to think well on his feet. I shudder when I think of some of the possible alternatives to this crown. No names, no pack drill.

[paulgranger]

I saw some of the Abbey service, but thought Sebastian Faulks was a bit 'look at me' in reading from his own 'Birdsong' Were there not enough memoirs and autobiographies to find passages to read from? Still, despite a not insignificant number of people who poo=poohed the whole thing, it was, on what I saw, a fitting event. And the railway programme was very good.

On a tangent, I think the Tower of London poppy installation is an inspired idea, quite the most memorable thing so far.

[rose of picardy]

I saw photos of the poppies at the Tower of London. It was extraordinarily moving and I think it conveyed the scale of the sacrifice. It will be overwhelming by November 11, 2014 when they plant the last poppy.

[Mark Hone]

If I am going to be critical I thought that the Abbey service might have been trimmed slightly and I too wondered why it was felt necessary to have an 'ersatz' description of the war's impact (Faulks) when they had so many real accounts to choose from. Very minor quibbles, though.

[Bombadier]

Minor point which grated with me was the way in which virtually everyone referred to "The tomb of the Unknown Soldier". I believe that Shirley Williams was the only one to refer to the "Unknown Warrior".

Apparently the motor cyclist who congregate at Micks Burger Bar on Portsdown Hill lined the car park looking over Portsmouth with their headlights on. At the stroke of 11 they turned their lights off.

Nigel

[phil andrade]

There was a reference to the fighting at Mons on 23 August 1914 as the " first battle of the war". That upset me a little, because the day before - we are told - twenty seven thousand Frenchmen were killed. To be fair, that was pointed out by one of the experts on the panel. It was just an error by Sophie Rayworth, who clearly was alluding to British experience only....shame she didn't stipulate that.

All in all, I was impressed and felt that BBC did very well.

Phil (PJA)

[Mark Hone]

To be fair, Eddie Butler, the BBC commentator, scrupulously referred to 'The Unknown Warrior'. However I noticed that the historian who was brought on to talk specifically about the tomb kept using the phrase unknown soldier.