I have very mixed feelings about Remembrance Day; in general I'm with Bogle:; to paraphrase from memory:

"the young people ask/what are they marching for/and I ask myself the same question".

I don't need Remembrance Day to remember . . there's so many fine songs about the tragedy of war, which both commemorate its victims and remark on its waste, tragedy and futility . . (what war, other than WW-II, was either "necessary" or served any useful purpose?); I have an aversion to militaristic and one-sided commemorations (as I feel they tend to perpetuate the divisions of the conflict), and my perception of the British Legion (the beneficiaries of Poppy Day) are coloured by their past rampant anti-German sentiments (when I lived in Bracknell they mounted a campaign against the town's twinning with a town in Germany . . ). However, I note that they were credited with negotiating the inclusion of representatives of the "Shot at Dawn" club in this year's parade, so perhaps I owe them a re-appraisal.

As it happens, we went to a "remembrance" event this year; "Bells of Remembrance", funded by the District Council and featuring a commissioned new composition. Parts of it were excellent, but overall it was dreadful (I'll spare you the details . . ) Quite the worst "commemoration" I've experienced . . . We had to play June Tabor's recording of "The Writing of Tipparary" as soon as we got in, as an antidote . .

We happened to be be telling our daughter about the "Bells" event . . she commented "it's fine to remember, but it too easily seems to be glorifying war".

The question isn't "Is it worth remembering?" but "Should we need a Remembrance Day?". Personally, I think not.

G.