Rememberance

At 11 oclock tomorrow. I will stand for 2 minutes, I will allow my thoughts to soak up the silence. For I am blessed with freedom... I will be thankful to all the men and women who have served in the forces to keep us free. Some of whom died many who did not.... but all of them gave of themselves for us.



During World War 2 my grandfather served with the Northumberland fusiliersfor 3 weeks before being captured and placed in Changii... he was then taken as part of the task force that built the now notorious Burma railway. My Grandfather was a quiet gentle man who cared not only for his own children but also raised his grand-daughter. He was supportive of me when I decided I was not ( like my family) a catholic and that I wanted to study paganism. He also fully supported my decision to become a dancer. he never questioned me. He told me that nothing could ever stop me but myself.



He dies when I was 12. With him died my greatest fan and strongest supported. Everything I have done was to prove to him I deserved his full love. Something he gave without question.



He gave of himself everyday to others as he did during his term in the forces.... He rarely talked about his time as a prisioner of war.... I know he ran the concert parties in the camp (I still have a call sheet he wrote for a christmas production).... I know he didnt eat for weeks and at times survived on raw chillies that grew on a tree outside the camp that they could reach through some bars.... I know it haunted him everyday that he survived and most of his friends did not. He told me thatthese men and women gave their lives so I could live mine as i wanted too.... That I did not have to have my freedom taken away from me and I should respect it and them. He was right.

Everday men and women sign up to join our armed forces. These people deserve more respect than we can give... and a lot more than 2 minutes once a year.

I cherish my freedom given to me by many I will never know or could ever comprehend.... and for that I am eternally grateful and proud to be british.


"They shall not grow old as we who 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"