Remembrance Sunday

We'll be at our local service today, and no doubt many other Scampers will be attending theirs.

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them.

Most of us had a miutes scilence at Sculthorpe yesterday as well. It was nice to see so many poppies on peoples overalls.

Ivinghoe parish church was packed for the Remembrance service, even more than usual - had 'em all but hanging from the ceiling.

Maybe it's Afghanistan that keeps it relevant today. Or, perhaps it's a generation thing: Poppy Day meant everything to those who lived through two world wars, but to baby boomers like myself it tended to be one of those things from our parents' and grandparents' era. Later generations, not associating it with "old-fashioned", may see it with fresh eyes. Just a thought.

Sadly there weren't as many at Coalville as there usually is. The weather was fine as well, so I'm not sure why the attendance was much lower than normal.
We saw a few faces who we haven't seen for a while though, including a young ex-soldier who I helped through a sticky patch with my Royal British Legion Casework. He looked much happier than the last time I saw him.

Elaine&Reg.

Yesterday, there was a sort of postscript to Remembrance Day in the village.

On Nov 15th 1944, a Liberator taking off from the nearby U.S. airbase at Cheddington in zero visibility, crashed due to instrument failure killing two of the crew. Yesterday, in the presence of the two crew members still alive, a memorial was unveiled near the crash site. Story here.

Most of the ceremony was carried out by WWII re-enactors, and there was a good turnout of period vehicles. RAF and USAF representatives were also present to lay wreaths. Unfortunately the scheduled flypass had to be cancelled: although the weather on the day was beautiful, the Mustang concerned lives at a grass airstrip, which recent storms had left too soggy for use.

Cheers for sharing that with us Bob.

Elaine.