Two minutes’ silence at 11:00 am today.
A chance to remember those who fought for us – the ones that made it back and the ones that didn’t from wars over 100 years ago up until today.
For some of our members, they experienced the horrors and fears of World II as children, as young members of the Army, Navy, Royal Air Force and other branches of the military.  For most of us, we cannot imagine what they went through, nor would we want to have to experience it first hand.
Jean lost her Dad.  My great uncle was a Japanese PoW. He never spoke about it. Dad only spoke about his time in the Royal Navy in the last years of his life. Many of you will have other memories handed down over the years generation to generation

Some of our younger members served more recently. Memories relatively raw

Andy’s comment from last year which you may not have seen.  (He was on parade again today.)

As one veteran on parade said today, I am not obliged to come here but I wanted to – to remember and say thank you  I was one of the lucky ones

There is moving poem by Kenny Martin written in 2003. Copyright protected so you need to look it up. It’s entitled “I Do Not Know Your Name”.

They shall not grow old as we grow old

Age shall not weary them nor years condemn

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we shall remember them.

Laurence Binyon. 1869-1943