Remembrance Sunday

As I write this, it's 11 o'clock on the 11th day of the 11th month...and I'm watching the parades from London.

I always feel rather overwhelmed with patriotism as the veterans march past the cenotaph, shoulders still held high with pride - for some it's been 90 years since they fought and risked their lives. I have always been in awe of these ex-soldiers, my father is a historian, my Grandfather came to Britain from Poland to fight with the Allies during World War II, and my Great Grandfather fought in the First World War, so it's little wonder with these family connections that I have always had a fascination for war history. Sadly, I can't help but wonder that as the years go by we will forget the what they fought for.

I found it hard to buy a poppy this year, maybe because there was a spate of thefts in Nottingham and many appeal collection boxes went missing, or maybe because the great wars are fading into the background. With the increase in tabloid news and the obssession with celebrities, there is little reminder of remembrance day until it is upon us.

If its not too late I will try to buy a poppy today or at least drop a donation in a box that is still in tact to acknowledge the bravery and sacrifice of these surviving veterans, and the hundred of thousands of those who lost their lives in the last century, and of course, not forgetting those who are currently putting their lives at risk in the Middle East.

Ruth