And now it's 10th November. No it's not, it's the 11th. Just after 11am, too.
Managed to hear the distant chime of Big Ben from someone's radio and was in time for the minute's silence. While I am not militaristic and don't think war is a way to solve conflicts, the least I can do is stand for 60 seconds to remember the courage of young men and women, and the terrible waste of life - and not just British and allied lives, but all those involved on the orders of their leaders, not to mention civilians of all ages caught up in the violence.
If anyone reads this and doesn't know what I'm talking about – it's 11 November, the anniversary of Armistice Day in 1918, the end of the First World War. The day serves as Remembrance Day to commemmorate the dead of wars of the 20th century and the 21st.
The poppy was the only flower to grow among the devastation of the battlefields of France and Flanders, which is why it has become the symbol of the dead men who fell there.
11am is the moment that people stand for a minute's silence. Knowing that I am joining millions of others for that minute is very moving - everyone has their own thoughts: of family members and friends who died, of their personal experience of war - whatever they might be.
Moments of communion are important, drawing people together in spirit wherever they happen to be, with a common intent.
