It's Remembrance time of year again..

Perhaps you should explain to her that the rise in extremism in mainstream politics and the growing poppy fascism are not unrelated.

"**** off out our country if you dont like our poppy!"

 

True. And more Brits than Anzacs died at Gallipoli. But Gallipoli was a major contributor to the cteation of specific Aussie and Kiwi national identities. Thete's a very moving commemoration of Gallipoli at the brilliant Te Papa museum in Wellington

 

A lot of charities behave like that. My mum felt under an obligation to contribute to any charity that phoned or sent her a free pen. When she died we discovered that she had sometimes taken out three or more standing orders to the same charity

 

I thought the minute's silence at Soton yesterday was the best observed I can remember. I found it very heart-warming, as usually I find myself dreading some ****head yelling "yew 'Orns" or similar.

And I was delighted that the German President was invited to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph today. It wasn't only the Allied troops who suffered and died undeservedly in WW1

 

Did you think so? I thought it was a bit naff and aimed mainly at kids.

 

Did you notice that as soon as the buglers stopped playing yesterday some of our fans thought the silence was finished and started singing again? They beat the whistle by a couple of seconds.

 

Depends on whether you mean the written material or the model figures, I suppose

 

There is a common misconception amongst much of the public that all the money they put in a charity bucket goes, or should go, to delivering that charity’s objectives. That view implies that all those working for a charity are volunteers. Even if that were the case there would still be significant costs in achieving the charity’s targets efficiently. (Accommodation, IT equipment etc.)
In fact a charity has to compete with the commercial and public sectors to recruit the best possible staff. They offer significantly lower salaries than commercial companies but are fortunate in that most of their employees are prepared to accept this because they are very committed to the cause.
I work for a conservation charity and I know there is a constant struggle between trying to keep down costs and delivering objectives by using the public’s contributions well. To do this we recruit, train and use a large number of volunteers as well as paid staff. Other income can be realised from government and other grants but these have been severely curtailed recently in an environment of cuts and austerity and in the European sphere this will get worse following Brexit.

 

The models. I thought they detracted from the gravity of the display and the message. I appreciate it was a Peter Jackson special, but still...

 

I'm a big believer in remembrance but do feel too much concentrates on Ww1.
Little focus on other conflicts such as Ww2, Afghanistan and Gulf war.

 

Surely understandable this year?

Not sure I agree that is true for other years.

 

Wait until 1939. And then the Battle of Britaon 1940. D-Day 1944. VE-Day 1945. And possibly VJ-Day 1945.

That was the clearest good v evil contest you could find in a war, but the tone of the commemorations will depend on politics at that time. I'll probably have to miss it due to a prior engagement with death

 

There's a chance that I might see these - my parents are war children (born '37 and '40) and I'm part of that generation who sort of grow up on its sanitised myths - endless WWII films and a diet of "Warlord", "Victor" and "Commando" comics. I'm also 1/4 German...

 

Remembrance Day grew out of Armistice Day which marks the cessation of hostilities on the Western front during WW1. The 11th day, 11th hour thing also refers to Armistice Day so it's understandable that would be the focus.

Not so long ago it was Remembrance Sunday that people in the UK mainly observed.. which is obviously a movable date so not always on the 11th. Now we seem to have both.. and about a month leading up to it.

 

My poppy is much, much flasher than any of yours. It's one of those special jewel encrusted ones that us top people have.

Of course I went to the remembrance day celebration here in town and managed to barge my way right to the front, where I was able to film my child in the parade by holding my massive glowing screened mobile phone up on high whilst they went past.

It was a bit boring while they were laying down those poppy wreath things, but I managed to pass the time by loudly discussing Netflix with my posh friends stood around me.

Feel that we did our bit for the old soldiers or whatever it is. Lest we forget.

 

Agree.

It is bloated now & bloated is seldom the winning ticket.

 

I enjoyed all the people on Facebook posting black and white pictures of their great, great grandfather and saying how proud they were to have some connection with someone who was involved. I'm no statistician, but seeing as though this was a World War and since all of us are descended from someone, I'd say there's about a 1/1 chance of most people from European countries being descended from someone who was involved in the war.

 

This is my best bit of remembrancing of the whole weekend:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/paedophile-hunters-make-dad-observe-13575390

The mind boggles.

 

Thought the program last night ‘they shall not grow old’ with reworked footage directed by Peter Jackson was outstanding

 

Do you know if they were wearing poppies when they "nicked" him?

 

Ahaha not if you are of Swiss descent you won't

 

If you are saying true to the claim of "anti-British (AKA English) bile at an Aussie ANZAC Day", then I have to refute that.
ANZAC Day is a 'whole day' thing for families across Australia - starting with a Dawn Service after which breakfast is laid on, followed by ANZAC Day parade through the streets which generally ends with an open-air Civic Service of Remembrance, followed by community barbecues, then, mainly in the larger centres, an ANZAC Tribute concert in the evening.

I've attended nearly forty of these in different towns & cities - Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns, Alice Springs, Longreach, Mt Isa, Darwin as well as smaller places that few on here have probably ever even heard of. I can categorically state that at each and every one of those, I have neither seen nor heard any anti-English bile & neither have any of my family or friends. ANZAC day is viewed by most Australians as a sacred day, a day of remembrance and a day of respect - anti-English bile simply rarely, if ever, comes into the equation.

 

Refute away.

 

You've attended a lot more than me (one, in my case, and that in NZ which is a much more relaxed place anyway), so I don't question what you say. But I was referring not to a pleasant family holiday but to snide things I've read in the press and on social media. But if that's not typical, I'm glad. I've really enjoyed my 7 or 8 trips to Oz and 2 to NZ, and I've found people very friendly and had some good banter.

But the Gallipoli disaster was undoubtedly used to create an impression that both would be better off as independent nations. And for the record, while I'm happy that the UK has a monarchy, if I were an Aussie I would vote for a republic

 

Agree, it was chilling and compelling. An outstanding film, goodness knows how they did it. If you didn’t see it I would urge everyone to take the time to watch it and remember these were real people

 

Maybe I should recommend that to the current Scottish Government as a plan...
My great-grandfather was in the Royal Scots during WWI - he survived the 1915 Quintinshill train disaster whilst en route from Edinburgh to Gallipoli via Liverpool, a disaster that accounted for around 200 of his battalion. Even though he spent the whole day in shock, helping clear the wreckage including pulling the dead bodies of his mates from it, he was sent on the next available train that evening to Liverpool - from where he set sail to Gallipoli the very next day. He never forgave the powers-that-be for their callousness - and became even more embittered because of their incompetence, which he saw as the reason for having the sh*t shot out him upon going ashore. At least he survived, but those experiences coloured his, and subsequently my, attitude towards King and 'Establishment - it's why I was happy to vote for Australia to become a republic, as well as for the removal of the union jack from the Aussie flag. On the losing side for both though...

 

Yes truly fantastic film compilation and insight.

 

Just watched this tonight and I can only add to everyone’s praise. A beautifully constructed, technically brilliant, thought-provoking and humbling film. Please try and see it.