Remembrance Time
Created by Val 8 years agoNovember is a very special time of the year for any member of the Royal British Legion as Remembrance Sunday is always the second Sunday in the month. For Bob, it was even more special as he became Poppy Appeal Organiser in the town from 1998 - 2004.
Organising collections for Bungay and the surrounding villages was a huge part of the job and we spent many hours getting lost in and around "The Saints" as the villages are know locally.
There were wreathes to be ordered and labelled, collecting boxes numbered and taken to the shops with the trays of poppies and the rota for collecting in the street to prepare. Then on the Saturday before Remembrance Day the wreaths had to be taken in to Church as Trevor has written about (Seeing the best in people). After the service and the wreaths had been laid around War Memorial then it was Bob's job, with help from Trevor to secure all the wreaths before heading to the British Legion Club for well earned "Whisky Mac"
And then on the Monday after Remembrance Day we collected all of the boxes and took them to the bank for counting for a couple of years and then we had to count them ourselves. After that, every shop, business or person who had accepted the collecting tin and the poppies would have a "Thank you" card telling them how much their collecting tin contained.
On Remembrance Day it was Bob who instigated a military vehicle to lead the parade. Bob was crouched in the back with a generator and a tape recorder from which he played military marching music. OK, not as good as seeing a marching band but when you haven't got one of those well this sounded just as good. Today, that military vehicle still leads the parade.
In 1998 whilst we were in Halesworth on 11th November, the Last Post sounded at 11am and the two minutes silence was observed. "We could do that" said Bob and sure enough the next year saw us on 11th November at 11am observing 2 minutes silence in the centre of the town. Just a handful of people joined in that very first one but ever since then it has grown and today the silence is observed in front of the War Memorial and the town comes to a standstill for those 2 minutes.
What a superb legacy for the town from this wonderful man with whom I shared 25 amazing years, 19 as his wife and I miss so much more than words can say.
Organising collections for Bungay and the surrounding villages was a huge part of the job and we spent many hours getting lost in and around "The Saints" as the villages are know locally.
There were wreathes to be ordered and labelled, collecting boxes numbered and taken to the shops with the trays of poppies and the rota for collecting in the street to prepare. Then on the Saturday before Remembrance Day the wreaths had to be taken in to Church as Trevor has written about (Seeing the best in people). After the service and the wreaths had been laid around War Memorial then it was Bob's job, with help from Trevor to secure all the wreaths before heading to the British Legion Club for well earned "Whisky Mac"
And then on the Monday after Remembrance Day we collected all of the boxes and took them to the bank for counting for a couple of years and then we had to count them ourselves. After that, every shop, business or person who had accepted the collecting tin and the poppies would have a "Thank you" card telling them how much their collecting tin contained.
On Remembrance Day it was Bob who instigated a military vehicle to lead the parade. Bob was crouched in the back with a generator and a tape recorder from which he played military marching music. OK, not as good as seeing a marching band but when you haven't got one of those well this sounded just as good. Today, that military vehicle still leads the parade.
In 1998 whilst we were in Halesworth on 11th November, the Last Post sounded at 11am and the two minutes silence was observed. "We could do that" said Bob and sure enough the next year saw us on 11th November at 11am observing 2 minutes silence in the centre of the town. Just a handful of people joined in that very first one but ever since then it has grown and today the silence is observed in front of the War Memorial and the town comes to a standstill for those 2 minutes.
What a superb legacy for the town from this wonderful man with whom I shared 25 amazing years, 19 as his wife and I miss so much more than words can say.
Pictures
11th November 11am
The first 2 minutes silence on 11th November