South Shields Sanddancers Forum

I'm absolutely disgusted in what happened on Sunday 9th November at the Westoe Memorial service for old veterans. As in years gone, there was a good turn out by veterans and the public. This year was no exception and the weather was fine, unlike other years. I’m not religious in any way, but respect what soldiers & veterans have done/doing for our country to give us a safe day to day life style. Unfortunately a number of ethnic adults, who live, at the most a hundred yards away from the Memorial on Westoe Road, were hanging out of the window watching what was going on and must have guessed that it was some kind of service, but the thing that angered my family and other people in the crowd, was the utter disrespect for the fallen soldiers and old veterans that turned up to pay their respects. During the service, but mainly during the 2 minute silence, they persisted on talking, shouting & laughing for all to hear. If I had gone over to ask them to be quiet I would have made a scene, and have more respect than that, and so should these mindless idiots. Surely if the shoe had been on the other foot, there would have been something said. I just hope it doesn’t happen next year because I may not be able to stand by and say nothing.

We had a minutes silence at school today, and the charvs in my class talked the whole way thru! I was not pleased, me and my mates all stood up like the headmistress asked over the tannoy, so there was our class one table standing, and not even the teacher standing up! I agree with you my mate no one has any respect anymore. Im only 15 but i know how much these brave men and women gave for us, is this the way we repay them?
Yours in irritated randomness!
RG

Your right Gaz, NO RESPECT.
I was there too with my grandad who was a Royal Marine Commander during the first world war, and witnessed what went on.
The shouting and laughing from a upstairs window to others in the street below that was being heard during the two minutes silence was disgraceful and ignorant.
These people should be told, or at least reminded that the soldiers who died, which we were all there to remember, gave up their lives so that they could live in the free society in which we all now enjoy.
No one can tell me that they didn't know there was something important going on with the large crowd that was gathered, it was sheer ignorance.
I shouldn't say this, but this is the one time I have been pleased my Grandfather is very hard of hearing, he would have been very UPSET to think he gave up so many years of his life to fight a war for the freedom of the world, to be disrespected so badly later in his life.
This was the sort of behavior you Might expect from unruly children, but certainly NOT grown adults WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER, whether they were born in this country or not, they should respect the Veterans and the late soldiers of all wars who gave them the better life they now enjoy.

It is pity that there are some ignorant people about.
They only ignorant because no one teaches them when they at school
about peoples sacrifices.
My Grandfather was survivor of Battle of the Somme.
And before anyone say anything He was British Tommy.
He not fight on Kaisers side.
It seems all these people that not honour participants of Wars are victims of political correctness.
They not know glorious storys of heroic deeds.
Has anyone read "Birdsong." by Sebastian Foulkes ? That one great book.
Bestest Regards
Memor

I was on the Metro on the way to shields at the time, they stopped the metro, had the two minutes silence and then continued on, everybody was quiet. It was a nice think to see, especially given that there was a good age range on board at the time.

The Beast

Its heartening that people want to respect the fallen dead still. I'm not a miltary type thinks war is great I hate it but a lot of service men (and women) dies unpleasant deaths for those of us who come after.

Yes, and bring back the two minutes silence all over.

i stopped my bus at 11am on sunday and again at 11 on tuesday,sunday was not bad as no one was on the bus at the time,but on tuesday i stopped at the town hall bus stop and i had a mixture of people on some kids were talking a yob with trainers on had a walkman and two blokes with turbans on were having a good natter,
So i shouted do you know what time and day this is,they just looked at me in silence so i said stay like that until i start the engine up ignorant fools,
and you know they never spoke another word they got off the bus at a number of stops along the route and just walked off to wherever .

Hotrod i wish i had been there,i dont think i could have stood and said nothing,but i will be there next year.

On tuesday at our school(I work at a primary school) , we had some children read out their thoughts and then we had a short speech by the prin and a minute's silence. The kids stand, no hats, and it is compulsory, no mucking around. This year we had some visiting musicians, there for a performance and one offered to play the last post. There are over 700 children at the school, but you could have heard a pin drop. Haunting, very affecting music, isn't it.
I recall being a young kid with my grandmother one year, in the middle of the city. is aw a taxi suddenly swerve to the curb and the driver jumped out and just stood there. the whole city stopped. All the shoppers stopped walking. Two minutes, then on their way. I have never forgotten it. I guess back then(it was in the 1960's) so many people had a first hand appreciation of the sacrifices.
Just as a matter of interest, did you know that the person who first suggested silence as a way to commemorate the fallen was an Australian journalist, living in London.

Hi, first of all, thanx hotrod for my pic its lovely...................

They have a thing called Veterans Day here, its laughable, all the old veterans go to cemetaries and Viet Posts for their 11am silence AND THE WHOLE OF THE EFFING COUNTRY GOES TO VETERNS DAY SALE.........................Its a hype to get people to shop, they have lost the plot over herem even after Iraq......I have NEVER heard of a prisoner of war get ANY kind of medal, certainly non of the Viet Vets that went thru hell.

The military is laughable over here, all medals (which mean nowt) brass and over-the-top uniforms. I wouldn't trust ANY of them to help me out in time of war, they are all bairns.

I still think Britain is GREAT I love her even more now I am looking at her from a distance, the Americans think anyone with a British accent is somehow more intelligent than they are, they come to work just to hear me talk, I think its the Geordie accent - they haven't worked out where I am from yet - lolololol

As for the monument at Westoe, I couldn't have kept my peace, I wouldn't have shouted at them, I would have dialed 999 on my cell phone and got the fuzz to SHUT THEM UP, if it had of been one of their ethnic gatherings, the police would already be on-site to stop any disruption.....it makes me sick.

Annie
ps sorry some things make me mad