For the Fallen – We will Remember them – Painted Poppies. Today I am sharing a different style of post. In the UK, Commonwealth Countries and many other countries across the world, today is Remembrance Day. By tradition, on Remembrance Day the country stops at 11am for 2 minutes to remember all those who have fallen. The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marked the end of German hostilities in the First World War. My grandfather fought in the First World War, joining up aged seventeen, being injured at The Somme and then returning to the Front as one of the early members of the Royal Flying Corps. He was one of the lucky ones, making it back home alive, many of those he served with did not.
We Will Remember Them – Where did this come from?
Taken from ‘For the Fallen’ by Robert Laurence Binyon (1869-1943), written in September 1914, just a few weeks after the British Expeditionary Force had suffered casualties following its first encounter with the Imperial German Army at the Battle of Mons. In 1939, the poet said that it was the fourth stanza that came to him first, and is probably the best know:
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.
Remembrance day is now a day to remember all fallen in all conflicts, not only the World Wars. Sadly there is almost never a day when there isn’t a conflict somewhere in the world. I have been fortunate never to have had first hand knowledge of what living in a conflict zone is like, but I got a small taste of it during my time in the Royal Navy Reserve while I was serving on Gibraltar at the start of the First Gulf War.
I witnessed at first hand the look of sheer terror in the eyes of too many young sailors who stopped off at Gibraltar on their way to the War. As I was a little older than many of these young men, they found they were able to talk with me about their fear. I would quietly listen to them as they told me they really had not joined the dots between joining the Royal Navy and actually going into a war zone. To this day it sends shivers down my spine to think of those young men and wonder how many made it home. I only hope that talking with me gave them some comfort, it is a time I will never forget.
Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red
In the summer of 2014, I was honoured to take part in the ‘planting’ of poppies at the Tower of London for the major art installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red. This marked one hundred years since the first full day of Britain’s involvement in the First World War. Created by artists Paul Cummins and Tom Piper, 888,246 ceramic poppies progressively filled the Tower’s famous moat between July and November 2014. 21,688 people volunteered to install the poppies. Each poppy represented a British military fatality during the war. The picture below shows only a small part of the installation. To see just how large it was, click HERE to visit the Tower of London website.
WHERE DID THE POPPIES GO?
All of the poppies that made up the installation were sold, raising millions of pounds which were shared equally amongst six service charities. One of them is now on display in our sitting room and is one of my prized possessions.
Ordering Special!
I have an ordering special for qualifying orders placed between 1st and 3oth November that use the following Host Code:
S4XN32TA
Orders of AT LEAST £40 (before P&P) will receive a CLEAR WINK OF STELLA as a gift from me. This is in ADDITION to my usual Thank You Card, Gift and Reward Vouchers. EVERYONE using the Host Code (or placing an order of £150 or more) will receive the November Customer Card Kits too. Please note that there is only one Gift Pack per customer per month.
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I pride myself on my Customer Service, so am always thrilled when someone chooses to shop with me so they can experience it for themselves. Each month I have an Ordering Special, so keep your eyes open for that!
But that that is not all. If you place a qualifying order and use the HOST CODE, you can also earn Sunflower Rewards. For every £30 you spend in any ONE order, you earn ONE reward. Earn 10 Rewards and you get to choose up to £30 of current (not discounted) product. Full details are on the Hostess Code Club Page. This month’s Host Code is:
S4XN32TA
If your order is over £150 (plus P&P), please don’t use the Hostess Code as you will get to pick your own rewards, but don’t worry, you will still become a VIP Member. But, even better, if your order is even close to £100, please, please DO NOT ORDER!! Please get the Starter Kit and save money on this order and every future order until at least the end of April 2022.
The Starter Kit is ALWAYS the best deal in the Catalogue! But, it just got better!! Until the end of November, the price is reduced from £99/€129 to just £75/€100. How COOL is that?
You still get your choice of ANY products up to the value of £130/€175 AND FREE SHIPPING, you just pay less.
You could add the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss, which is £112, and still have £28 of product to add! All for just £75!!! Or add the Early Release Eden’s Garden Suite Collection, value £77.50 saving you £2.50, and still have £52.50 left to ‘spend’. I could go on, but you get the idea.
This is such a great saving, so why not give the Starter Kit a try?? Just remember that the offer starts on TONIGHT in the UK and Tomorrow in Europe and runs to the end of the month.
Once you have joined you will then get early access to the next Mini Catalogue and Sale-a-Bration AND get a discount of AT LEAST 20% (before Tax) until AT LEAST the end of April 2022!!!!
As a Member of this great Family, you get a minimum of 20% net discount on your future purchases. You also get income from sales you make to other people if you want to use this as a business. Win, Win Right?
Whether you are in the UK, France, Germany, The Netherlands or Austria, just click on the picture to join the Team. If you decide that being part of the Stampin’ Up! Family is not for you, then just stop buying and you will revert to being a customer. Easy, simple, no quibbles!
What a beautiful blog post. Never Forget… Always Remember…