2 minutes silence

Re: 2 minutes silence

Sal the 1st — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:10:37 GMT

[quote user="Katie Mansfield"]

Sadly, Phrin, there's not many WWII vets left. Mind, I'm sure those that have passed over were looking down and really appreciated the service

K x

[/quote]

There are quite a few still left - I attend a number of the airfield memorials on the Sunday as part of a group, obviously we cant be at all of them at 11am but try and pay our respects at as many as we can during the day - but yes the years have taken their toll and there are fewer ex service people now around and I suppose in a very small community sometimes they are not represented at all.

One of the airfield memorials I attend there used to be upwards of 20 people there only 5 years ago - last Sunday there were just the 3.

Re: 2 minutes silence

Katie Mansfield — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:18:53 GMT

Sadly, Phrin, there's not many WWII vets left. Mind, I'm sure those that have passed over were looking down and really appreciated the service

K x

Re: 2 minutes silence

Phrin Vernon RVN — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:38:40 GMT

I was part of the parade on Sunday - my first outing as a Beaver Scout Leader - It was very emotional - We marched to the cenotaph - we were directly behind the British Legion, stopped for a short service, 2 minutes silence, then the laying of wreaths. We then went to the church for a full service.

The Beaver Scout Colony I am with is only from a tiny village, and so as far as I could make out, there was only one single veteran there, which was quite upsetting....

Re: 2 minutes silence

Gemma Burden RVN — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:19:08 GMT

We observed the two minutes silence yesterday, although myself, one otheer nurse and a vet were all part way through a splenectomy. Luckily we didn't need to do anything that required talking, the vet resorted to pointing at his open vicryl wrappers to show that he wanted another one (although obviously we would have talked if we needed to). However, as we were away from everyone else, we weren't sure when the silence was over. We heard the front door open, and then a client talking, but he obviously didn't realise why no one was responding to him, as we heard the receptionist whispering to him that it was the two minutes silence. It made us laugh, it was such a loud whisper. Luckily the phones stayed quiet though.

Re: 2 minutes silence

Steph Worsley — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:14:42 GMT

[quote user="littlehays"]

i ended up being at the war memorial in salisbury for the two minute silence, very emotional as lots of connections to the forces - husband, cousin and brother all currently serving in the army - and also made me think of my husband's homecoming parade for afghan which was when i felt my baby kick for the first time. i remember thinking how i would be so proud to tell him about what his daddy did, now i'll never get the chance

[/quote]

You may not be able to tell him, but he will know and be very proud of his daddy and will always look down on him xxxx

Re: 2 minutes silence

littlehays — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:01:39 GMT

Re: 2 minutes silence

SmegSlayer — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:05:59 GMT

I was in a maths lecture at uni yesterday and we were given the option of going to the uni gathering. We stood outside the from of the uni, the chaplain said a few words, we had the poem steph mentioned and a trumpeter played the last post. then from across cambridge a cannon was shot to mark the beginning of the 2 minutes and again at the end.

When I was in practice we never managed to observe it which always made me feel uneasy but there was no practice policy on it. The HVN we had was not the most organised so we would make a sign on the day but as no appointments had been rearranged and there was no plan about what to do with the ops/phones. If I was operating I would prefer to carry on for the animals sake because there was no way I was going to allow an animal to be under GA for longer than necessary, even 2 minutes.

Re: 2 minutes silence

Katie Mansfield — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:26:17 GMT

[quote user="Steph Worsley"]They shall grow not 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[/quote]

We had a moving Remembrance at the RVC. It was also quite eerie like Steph's was as we were standing around the flap-pole in the fog. We had a trumpeter play the Last Post, the above was read out and then we observed the two minutes silence. It was lovely and very much appreciated as there's a high proportion of students on my course with brothers in the forces.

K x

Re: 2 minutes silence

Steph Worsley — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:44:00 GMT

I was driving on the run up to 11am today but luckily found a layby just before 11 where myself and several other vehicles pulled in to observe the silence, it was nice on our own but together in a strange way, it was also quite eerie as there was a lot of fog around

They shall grow not 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

Lest we forget

I not only remember those we have lost and those who have been injured fighting for our freedom, I also remember the innocent lives lost and in particular 38 children and 6 teachers in my home village who were killed when an american bomber hit the original site of my primary school in a freak accident in a thunder storm. I am going up to my parents tomorrow and will be paying a visit to the memorial garden aka "the childrens grave" and the cenotaph, it will be the first rememberance weekend I will have been home in the past 11 years and it just feels like the right time to go and have some quiet reflection where I grew up

Re: 2 minutes silence

daisy — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:35:16 GMT

in the14 years iv worked in practice i have never seen a practice observe the two minute silence until today, i am a locum at my local PDSA and the silence was observed by all, staff and clients alike, i was very proud of the practice and so glad i could participate in it

Re: 2 minutes silence

Steph Worsley — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:25:10 GMT

we put signs up in the reception area stating that reception/accounts will be observing the silence, the rest of place it can be hard to observe it but I always try to ferret myslf away somewhere or be around reception.

All the phones are put as busy we have an answer phone system so cients can leave a message.

Other prctices we have taken them off the hook and the silence observed throughout.

Re: 2 minutes silence

supamog — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:38:55 GMT

yes that's how we feel, it can get very immotional can't it? especially as i have a son serving in afghanistan at the moment. I usually find a quiet corner or grab a book and pretend to be absorbed in it but at the last practice we did go out the back for a few minutes. I think a sign up will be the best thing to do then eveyone knows what is happening. thankyou.

Re: 2 minutes silence

Caro Laithwaite VN — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:50:48 GMT

I always observe it l tell whoever that l will be going outside about 5 mins before and once done l take a couple of mins and then go back in. I haven't had anyone object yet and if they did tough it is more importaint to me than someone objecting

For me it is a very personal moment not one l like to share with anyone although a few times l have had to being on a train or situation l was unable to get alone over but at work nope never been with anyone always stepped out on my own.

Re: 2 minutes silence

fnewboult — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:11:45 GMT

Don't think I've ever been anywhere that's honoured it but I'd say putting a sign up would be the way to go and have you got a phone out back / out of the way where you can just have someone on standby to answer it just in case?

Re: 2 minutes silence

Phrin Vernon RVN — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:04:58 GMT

I have never been in a practice that has even tried to observe the 2 minutes silence :(

It is really nice to see that some practices honour it

Re: 2 minutes silence

Gemma Burden RVN — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:35:23 GMT

We usually put up a notice on the front door and at reception to say that there will be a two minutes silence at 11am, then clients are aware that it will be happening, and try to avoid booking any appointments that are likely to run over the two minutes silence. Off the top of my head I can't remember what we have done with the phones in the past, I have been operating during the last couple of silences. I've got a feeling that we have not answered them as we have a system on the phone that if someone has an emergancy they can press a button that makes all of the phones in the building ring so we wont ingore an important call. Luckily the phones are the only real problem though, the clients are always really understanding and are happy to observe the two minutes silence.