General Chat

Yes the 'Gun Run at the Royal tournament. That was always hard work for the team. although he was never actually in the show team my OH did perform in the gun run in competitions with other RN Apprentices in the 50s.

Ah yes Andy's mum, ty for clarifying that

That was the Royal Tournament, Florence. At the Festival they used to have marching displays and a gymnastics display, which was very good, but much the same every year.

When I was younger, I used to visit my grandparents and spend the weekend with them. If the Festival Of Remembrance was on the weekend I visited, I was allowed to stay up late and watch it but..... we sat in silence and did not speak a word!

I only caught the last 15 minutes of it last night but I watched the service at the Cenataph this morning.

AnninGlos, didnt they used to like take a gun apart and then put it all together or something like that? Racing against another team?

Gwynne, yes my parents (and my sister and I and later T once we were going out together,of course, always watched The Festival of Remembrance. One Grandfather and one Great Grandfather were both in the R Marines, Father was in the RN and T in the RN (Fleet Air Arm) And T's father in the RN and T's brother in the Army.

I think the format has improved in later years. I seem to remember that originally in the first half there used to be displays by the different services.

Kandj I do too.

Ann, I feel privileged to watch this each year.

It always makes me feel very humble.

"Lest We Forget."

I've set it to record.

When I was a child, my aunt, dad's sister would visit us every year to sit with Mum and Dad and watch The Royal Festival of Remembrance on our rented TV.... all in black and white in those days of course.
How they would have loved to see it, as we can now.

Auntie had been in the Wrens and Dad in the Army and they had both been born and brought up in Portsmouth with it's strong Navy connections. Their cousin had died at sea during the War so they felt a personal connection to the Services.

Mum had not been in uniform, but for many, many years was a Poppy seller, when there used to be house to house collections and was asked one year if she would like to go to represent the area sellers at the Royal Albert Hall service, but she was rather shy and didn't want to. In later years, she said that she wishes she had accepted the offer to go.

It was always a sombre moment, when the petals started to fall and it was a special time when we were allowed to stay up to watch with the adults and sat in silence at that time.

Anybody watching it?
That is the largest Royal Marine band I have seen in years. Normally one lot or another are away on duty on various ships. My OH and my Dad would have enjoyed that. They were great.