Yesterday 100 years ago, WW1 officially commenced (to be over by Christmas)

As I sat last night watching the memorial services from Belgium and Westminster Abbey, it set me thinking about how right it is that we mark this occasion suitably. The next 4 years will bring many memorial events to the forefront of life in the 21st century.

This lead me to revisit my family history and be thankful for all I have and am. I thank God that my grandfathers both survived WW1, and father survived WW2 - otherwise I would not be here to write this. Rather than maudlin musings on mortality, my thoughts turn to the changes that have taken place since '"The wars to end all wars".

Communication springs to mind - imagine:

• waiting for weeks for any contact to and from the battlefields. Now, we see soldiers calling home on their mobile phones, and live coverage from the front via news teams.
• putting pen to paper and hoping that the editor will publish your letter at some later date. Today we write and comment on blog posts and all other forms of social media for all to see and hear.
• waiting for the newspapers with the latest updates. Now we're bombarded with immediate news coverage from across the globe bringing information to us a pace that can at times be overwhelming.

I hope that the next 4 years will bring some calm and measure to the world and perhaps we might just think a little more carefully before committing to things (remembering what went before).

There are many men and women to remember across the world, and interestingly their stories to find and discover over the next few years. I look forward to the exploration and the opportunity we will have to learn and discover our pasts.

Watching the news this morning prompted me to put my name down to purchase by way of donation, one of the 888,246 ceramic poppies which are being 'planted' in the moat of The Tower of London, with the last to be put in place on 11th November this year. These poppies represent a life of a servicemen who died during the conflict. 

Purchasing a poppy seems very important as a mark of respect and remembrance (I don't think my back could take 4 hours of 'planting' them into the moat - they are seeking volunteers to do just that, though I may reconsider this later in September - hopefully I'll be fitter).

Now back to my family history research.