When I searched Ebay for Abingdon I found mostly postcards for sale – including three featuring the war memorial in days gone by.
At 11 O’clock this morning about 40 people stood in silence round the war memorial to mark Armistice Day. The town crier rang his bell to announce the two minute silence.
The town clerk, Mayor and Chair of the Vale were there, behind them were town councillors.
There were also two young ladies selling poppies, where the green shop front once was. Near them were some veterans with medals. And round about were people – some who had deliberately come and others who had paused in passing as a mark of respect.
Sporadic traffic continued to flow as the people stood in silence until the town crier rang his bell again. Somebody then broke the silence to complain that it was a total disgrace that the traffic had shown no respect.
While I can remember all the traffic stopping while I was at school (many moons ago!), it is I think a tad unrealistic to expect this nowadays
Whilst it would be nice if the traffic did stop, I cannot help but feel that those who gave their lives in the world wars, did it so that we would have the freedom to express ourselves as we see fit, and not at the will of others.
Observe a moments quiet because you want to, not because you are forced to – to do so by command seems, to me, to defeat the very reason we once fought for.
unrealistic? is five minutes once a year too much to show respect, if not to the fallen then to those who are there to remember and to mourn?
Freedom of expression has it’s limits. We would rightly all criticise someone who deliberately sounded their horn all through the two minutes silence, or cranked up their car sound system and stopped by the mourners. So we all draw a line somewhere – it is just a matter of where.
I was told by a town councillor that day that it would take “too much officer time” to apply for a road closure for those five minutes. It would be interesting what would happen if a member of the public made such an application. In fact, I may do so myself next year.