Do you think about those that have died on Remembrance Day? In a town near me, they have had a parade etc on the 11th November every year since about 1920. It's great to see more and more companies promoting it, rather than leaving it to the Sunday. What do you think?

We have our parade on the Sunday, but we do pause on the 11th, whatever happens to be going on. This is the first time that I will have been at music school though. I think its a great idea to have teh parade on the 11th.

I do, indeed. I play the last post for the town every year. I'm playing tomorrow in a small ceremony and then in the parade on Sunday, Remembrance Sunday; I do this as part of the Air Training Corps.

I'm not sure whether we'll pause tomorrow, it's slap bang in the middle of orchestra. I don't know how they treat these things.

We paused today at school at 12, can't do 11 because of break time and also one at a memorial service on wendesday at school.

i will be in a piano lessson at 11 i think i'll ask my teacher to stop

It's our church autumn fair and we are having the opening service at 10.50 so that we can include an act of remembrance at 11.

I'll be at music centre..... I think that we'll probably stop.

I will have just started a choir practice with kids from five upwards. They are too young to think about it really although the older ones will know about it I am sure. As a white poppy wearer we may have a moment to give a thought to world peace.

I'll be in the middle of a teaching morning, and at 11 will be with a 6 year old who will be here on his second visit, so two minutes' silence may not be the best way to start his lesson! I shall certainly be aware of the time though.

I'm going to be home alone today but I will stop and although I wouldn't be speaking anyway I will be thinking of those who have given their lives.

Just come back from town for the 2 minutes' silence.

Last Post was fine...split a few notes in the rouse

We had a minutes silence at the end of a dance class - the kids (aged 5-7ish) didn't make a sound (which is very unusual for them!) I don't know if we will have one at school at some point - we usually do, but being as though it didn't fall on a school day then it didn't happen on the 11th. We have all been wearing the [red] poppies for the past week or so.

We were at the supermarket and they asked us to stop which I am pleased to say everyone did.

We had a silence too

I was teaching theatre organ today at 11 am

Appropriately enough, my student was studying "The Red Cross Salute" - a March by Gerald Shaw. We had a 2 minutes silence and then continued, with a renewed sense of purpose.

I shall also be playing it at my concert on Wednesday evening as a tribute to the Red Cross members who have served and are serving in war time.......including two of my aunts - one of whom is still with us at 98........and no, she doesn't want to join OLTVA

I find thinking about people fighting in the war hard, as my brother is in the army, and he has to go to Afghanistan in March. I am really proud of him no matter how much I dont want him to go though.

We paused in the middle of orchestra rehearsal this morning.

We were at the ice rink; at 10.45 there was an unintelligible announcement over the tannoy that said we would be observing two minutes' silence at 11 - I thought Yeh right, I can't see most of the boisterous / show-off teenagers here having any truck with that. I then forgot to mention it to my own kids, as they were off round the other side of the rink.

Come 11 o'clock, all the "boisterous" teenagers lined up at the ends of the rink on bended knees, and were perfectly silent and still the whole time. I panicked about my two (aged 5 and 7) who were still across the other side of the rink, as I assumed they wouldn't know what was going on...but they also stood with bowed heads and kept quiet (longest I think I've ever known the 7 year old be quiet )

Afterwards I asked if they knew what it was all about - Oh yes, they said, we did it at school yesterday as well - it's so we can think about how brave all the soldiers are and how sad their families are if they get killed etc etc...

It totally restored my faith in human nature

Hazel

Absolutely. Stopped at 11am yesterday for 2 minutes silence.

Attended a moving service this morning and watched the band process through the village high street.

Has anybody seen the ceremony held every evening in Ypres in memory of WW1? I was there a couple of years ago and its a precious memory.

We had our flag service today... Every year there seems to be fewer flags, although the church was still full.

We had a parade which I went to.

We have a family birthday that day, and our minds are usually pre-occupied with that: I do think of the war dead very often at other times in any case, and the innocent victims of war too. I have a first-degree relative who was a refugee in Europe in the early 1940s, and the issue has always been one of which I've been aware. It is the reason why I also wear a white poppy.

Well, I didn't stop the car yesterday at 11am, but family have been fully involved today. Hubby took one service whilst I sang at another one (the children had sunday school) Then Younger son was involved as a Beaver in the Village Remembrance Sunday procession.

As I chose the hymns for hubby's service we managed to ditch "O Valiant Hearts" there. (Alas I had to sing it) Mind you the rest of the music we sang was pretty special. Russian Contakion, and Purcell "Thou knowest Lord".

This has been the first time since I became a mother that I was able to take a full part in Rememberance Sunday, a day that resonates strongly. Not only did I have Grandfathers that served in World War I and World War II. My birthday is on 6th August. On 6th August 1945 the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

I pray for peace, but recognise that there are times when the decision to go to war becomes inevitable to rid the world of greater evil. One must not forget that many soldiers who died were conscripted and had no choice.

i think it's all become way too commercial

Commercial?????

Not sure I get that comment, wannabe pianogenius.

In what way is Remembrance Day too commercial?

Christmas and St Valentine's Day are too commercial. If you mean that more people are taking note of the day, that is good news. That is how it used to be in the 1920s, 30s and 40s.

The Royal British Legion use the money from the sale of poppies and wreaths to help former service personnel who are in need. That's really good.

Too commercial? People's sacrifices can't be remembered and admired enough! Four people have been killed in Basra today. How do their families feel now?

In japan christmas is far too comertial when most aren't christians.

I dont feel that the people in the first and second world wars were 'dying for their country'. They were told to sign up, and they did. They had no choice. Don't take any notice of me if you don't want to, it's just an opinion..

Whether the people who died were conscripts or volunteers, they still died in their hundreds of thousands. And we are the beneficiaries of the cause they fought and died for.

I dont think it really matters what I care anyway, I just thought I'd say that. I dont want you all to gang up on me just because you're right and I'm wrong or whatever, I know the people in these forums have a tendancy for doing that..

The first Conscription law was passed in January 1916. Obviously prior to this people signed up because they chose to.

I love to debate. Internet Fora can be good for that. Sometimes I press "enter" before I have totally thought about what I have typed or to check it's accuracy. Perhaps we all do?

No I never do that

Before a mighty row erupts, I shall submit that for our 2 minute silence at church yesterday, there was a bugle recording to be played at the end. However, the person in charge of the CD player was of a simple nature, and thus turned it on at the start. I lasted 1 minute and 47 seconds, and so it made odds to the running of things.