WFA - 3 whistle blasts at 7.30 am on 1 July at local memorials

[WilliamRev]

Page 3 of the March 2016 Western Front Association Bulletin carries the proposal that, in remembrance of those who died on the Somme, we should blow three short whistle blasts at our local war memorial. (It advises us, out of courtesy, to make our local council aware of our intentions).

Do people know about this? Are you already planning an event, and what will it consist of - a brief few words and then the blasts on a whistle, or a short service as well perhaps?

I am keen that in my village we do something involving the 7.30 am whistle-blowing, and wonder what others intend.

Any constructive thoughts or ideas are welcome!

William

[Curhalios]

I distributed 100 packets of poppy seeds through the village shop free to any and all in the parish in the hope they will grow them in a public place in time for the beginning of July. They should flower in time if planted end of March, early April

100 packets to mark the centenary.

I was delighted to find this week that all of the packets have been taken up!

[Stoppage Drill]

0730 GMT of BST ?

[Mark Hone]

I shall dig out my Hudson 'Metropolitan' for the purpose. As Mr Drill nearly says, which 0730 are we going to adhere to ?

[Stoppage Drill]

I shall dig out my Hudson 'Metropolitan' for the purpose.

I have one of those in my dog walking bag. Is it appropriate ?

. As Mr Drill nearly says,

Story of my life . . . . "Dahlink, I love you. Will you . . . . . . nah, forget I spoke."

[Mark Hone]

Well, it's still attached to my old Sam Browne, so I thought it would be OK.

[StGilesOldBoy]

I will be tolling the tenor bell in the church 100 times at 7.30am. I did this at midnight on 4th Aug. 2014, and intend to do the same on 11th Nov. 2018, after the two minutes silence of course.

Regards to all

SGOB

[WilliamRev]

0730 GMT of BST ?

BST I think - in any case in our village the war memorial is outside the library in the very heart of the village, close to lots of homes, and 6.30 am BST would be rather anti-social.

William

[trenchtrotter]

So we are told to blow the whistle and we all do. Not my idea of commemoration.

TT

[Michelle Young]

Agreed Tim, I won't be taking part. July 1st will be spent quietly remembering but I quietly remember every day. I really don't get the huge hysteria around July 1st personally.

Michelle

[Steven Broomfield]

Wot Michelle said. Why the obsession with the 'worst' day? If local communities have to be forced to remember, they should remember what was 'special' for them. West End, where I used to live, lost a large number, relatively, on the sinking of the Royal Edward, and no-one on 1st July. Similarly the village where I now live lost chaps on the Royal Edward (I still live in Hampshire, obviously) and, IIRC, no-one on 1st July, so where is the local relevance to that?

I'd rather remember quietly every passing day and not on one specific day.

And anyway, 1st July is a Friday, so I suspect blowing a police whistle in the quiet carriage of the 0708 Southampton Airport to Waterloo service might be slightly infra dig.

[MBrockway]

Nice tip-off.

With several memorials on mountains, I shall spread the word in the Mountain Rescue community that reports of whistles at 07:30hrs on 01 Jul may not be distress calls.

Cheers,

Mark

[MBrockway]

Government site is saying one long blast rather than three short.

I've circulated information to my regional MR community and to the regional Emergency Services control room that there may be reports of distress signals heard that morning.

Likewise there may be reports of lights seen in the hills with the proposed candlelit vigils, some of which are bound to take place on summits/landmarks.

Thanks for the heads-up.

Cheers,

Mark

[Jerrymurland]

Just wondering what the millions of dogs that abound our pleasant land will think when all these whistles(?) actually go off? Will they think it's walkies time and add to the cacophony of noise by barking their support?

Jerry