General Chat

Just wondering if anyone is planning on doing anything in the way of commemorating WW1? Local events? National events? Household/family events? Anything interesting going on where you are?

Hi Karen here in Memories of August 1914 will be brought to Liverpool by street theatre tour de force Royal De Luxe, who captivated crowds of 800,000 people in 2012 with the Giant spectacular Sea Odyssey.....

http://www.giantspectacular.com/content/liverpool-host-uk%E2%80%99s-giant-world-war-one-tribute-event

So looking forward to it :-D

We are being encouraged to turn the lights out and leave only a single candle alight in a remembrance on 4 August.

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance/ww1-centenary/lights-out

In Folkestone Prince Harry is to attend the dedication of a Memorial Arch at the top of the Road of Remembrance, down which thousands of service people marched on their way to the fighting.
Many never returned.
The road was renamed in their honour.

Gwyn

http://www.belgiumtheplaceto.be/thefirstandthelast/Events

Hostilities involving the BEF actually started 22 Aug 1914 when the German 1st Army launched Schiffen's "right hook" at Mons. The British fought a fighting retreat which took them nearly all the way to Bray-sur-Somme. One of the British guns is in the War Museum, just reopened.

I still have my grandfather's Mons rosette and bar awarded to those who were within sound of the guns at that time. How he ever came home in one piece I shall never know.

"Brother Bertie went away
To do his bit the other day
With a smile on his lips
and his Lieutenant's pips
upon his shoulder bright and gay
As the train moved out he said,
'Remember me to all the birds.'
Then he wagged his paw
and went away to war
Shouting out these pathetic words:

Goodbye-ee, goodbye-ee,
Wipe the tear, baby dear, from your eye-ee,
Tho' it's hard to part I know,
I'll be tickled to death to go.
Don't cry-ee, dont sigh-ee,
there's a silver lining in the sky-ee,
Bonsoir, old thing, cheer-i-o, chin, chin,
Nah-poo, toodle-oo, Goodbye-ee."

Our Historical Society is doing a large weekend exhibition of soldiers from our town. At the moment it is mainly all the poor souls that were killed but our plan is to honour each and every man with his own folder with background and service records,photos etc. It is hard work for us members doing it but nevertheless a very worthwhile project. There is also to be a remebrance service at the war memorial in September.

I found a handwritten letter from a soldiers friend who witnessed his death. It was written to the soldiers wife and 3 children and I found it so moving I shed a good few tears. I also have all his medals and death penny and felt awful carrying them home in a plastic bag

Interesting to read your contributions....
Thanks for the link Rollo, I shall take a look at that right now.
Mersey, sounds like a great event where you are.
Gwyn thanks for putting up the link, and the info.
I like the sound of what your HIstorical Society is doing LaGooner,,

I googled to see if there was anything going on in my home town and the only thing I could find was a 'lights out' service at the parish church on the evening of 4th August. Can't believe that's all that's happening...it's a garrison town!! :-0

Hmmm, not many peeps doing anything then.....I wonder is that because nothing's going on in your area, or is it that peeps are not really interested in doing anything? Just curious.....

Found this - is was to take place in a local Kent park today.

Young people from the charity’s Youth Theatre are joining an all-age cast to portray life 100 years ago and in the present day – a story of four generations unfolds through the discovery of some 1914 love letters. Using acting, music and song, plus a World War 1 sing-a-long, the performance will commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the First World War – a conflict that changed life for everyone
......

The local village historian is compiling details about the men named on the War memorial. This seems to be a common theme.
............

Although some may find it disrespectful, OH has said he is fed up with WW1 programmes on TV as a conflict 100 years ago has no relevance to him. His attitude is - It happened. You can't change anything. Get over it.

It could be that many other people who don't have an interest in FH feel the same.

Many left for war from Folkestone., marching down the steep hill to the harbour to cross the Channel.
Folkestone's Road of Remembrance has been decorated with knitted and crochet poppies and rosemary ( for remembrance) plants have been renewed.

The poppies first arrived a couple of years ago and have been added to with contributions from several other countries.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28600180

On Monday night there is a lantern service at Shorncliffe cemetery, where many victims of war, including hundreds of Canadians are buried. The graves will be individually lit by a lantern.

Gwyn

There's to be a national 'LIGHTS OUT' on Monday (4th August) evening between 10pm and 11pm where households are invited to turn off their lights, just leaving one single light on (or a single candle) thereby marking the occasion of Britain's entering the war.
http://www.1418now.org.uk/lights-out/

“The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime” .... Sir Edward Grey, British Foreign Secretary, August 1914.