Remembering … in The odd entries from life …….

Tonight a moment in time was marked, at eleven o clock pm today was one hundred years since Great Brittan declared war on German; for younger people the First World War will seem a long time ago. I was bourn in 1951 just thirty seven years after the start of the First World War, I remember many gents about in their fifties when I was a child, who were survivors of that war, two were my Granddad’s; and thinking about it some of my older teachers!

BBC 2 had programmes on from 6.30 to 11.15 - the first program was from St Symphorien Military Cemetery in Belgium, there solders from Brittan, the Commonwealth and Germany are berried there. The program was timed to be in the dusk, starting in the light and to finish in the dark; reflecting the theme of the lights going out in Europe.

Across Europe tonight lights have been turned off, and homes had a single lit candle showing, and all to be doused at eleven pm, the time Germany must pull out of Belgium by midnight mid European time 4th August 1914 – eleven pm British time. The second program was from Westminster Abbey in London, there was a service of prayer, readings and music, all timed to end on the stroke of eleven pm. There were 2000 people in the Abbey each with a candle, these candles were to be put out in stages through the service, the last light doused was that on the grave of the Unknown Warrior; the only light left was the Easter Candle – a light of hope to shine through the duration …

Last updated August 05, 2014