Remembrance Sunday

Today is remembrance Sunday. A day where we remember the fallen, those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Although I will be at work, I will be wearing my poppy with pride and falling silence for two minutes at 11am.

Though my job I have had the opportunity to meet many people with first hand experiences and memories of from World War 2 and subsequent conflicts. Their stories are always interesting and frequently heartbreaking.

When me and Tilly went shopping last week, we stopped off at a poppy stall which was selling paper poppies as well as many other items including metal pin badges, poppy bracelets and poppy shaped reflectors for clothing. When we reached the stall it made me proud that Tilly knew and understood the meaning behind the wearing of a poppy. On Friday she told me that her school had participated in the two minute silence. I think that it is important to teach our children about remembrance Sunday and the meaning behind it as a continued way of commemorating those that never made it home.

I am not really a football fan. I think they are overpaid and don't deserve celebrity status. However on friday I had so much respect for the England and Scotland national teams as they wore a poppy on an arm band despite Fifa being against it (Fifa do not allow players to wear anything with political or religious connotations) and therefore both England and Scotland knew they would face an unknown penalty.

I think I speak for many when I say that today we will remember those who fought and died for us and our country. I am happy to say that 2016 has been the first year since 1968 that there were no UK armed forces operational deaths. I hope we don't have to wait another almost 50 to say this again.