to think that people should have been quiet for 2 minutes

[TwoTearsInABucket]

in the supermarket at 11am this morning?

I was with my two DCs in the supermarket and there were two announcements, first one at 10.45am, about observing the 2 minute silence at 11am.

At 11am most people stopped but there were quite a few who carried on shopping (couldn't see that they were making a point or anything), talking loudly and then looking confused when they saw people stopped and not talking.

Could they not have thought about it, stopped shopping and shut up for two minutes?

I think a general silence should just be on 11/11 and remembrance services whenever they are include the 2 minutes. If I had been shopping yesterday I probably wouldn't have been aware it was 11.00. So do shops etc do a silence on the Sunday and another on 11/11? I think it should just be today.

I was given very disdainful looks when I tried to buy something at 10.50 yesterday. All the assistants were outside the shop waiting to see the parade 200 yards down the road.

I then carried walking and thought about the fallen whilst walking.
I respect them.
I don't respect the warmongering governments.
I also remember Michael Foot being derided by the press for wearing a short jacket, similiar to a donkey jacket. WTF!

The "official" silence has been on the Sunday since since the service moved to the fixed day of the week in the 1920s. Public observation on the 11th itself vanished completely by the 1960s(ish) but returned following public demand (on back of Yugoslav implosion and war in Europe again?) in the 1990s.

Yes, it's possible that some people don't know. No, it's not compulsory to take part. It's unutterably rude to disrupt the silence intentionally though.

Bring quiet to avoid disturbing others may look the same as actually observing it, but the key thing is your motivation and thoughts which make it not the same thing at all.

twotears

I did exactly that a few years ago.

I'm Hungarian and didn't know about this custom
plus I wasn't paying attention (as I hardly do) to the announcments, because I had my noisy children with me who demanded my attention more plus I rarely understand what sounds like talking from coming under water!

so I was totally oblivious, immersed in my own little world and didn't have a clue what the heck was going on.
I kept on quietly talking to the boys and I got evil stares from everyone.

it was awful. not one person stepped up and said "we have a two minute silence, please join us"

I left as quick as I could and cried all the way home as I just felt horrible for upsetting others - which I never would've done if I had been aware.

so here, the "other side's" experience.
(now I know to be quiet of course I shut up or avoid being out at thar time)

I forgot to add that I cried because I called DH and he explained. so I felt shit about it.

We were in a baby swimming class at 11am yesterday, and they announced the start and end of the 2 minute silence on tannoy. If we could manage to observe the silence in a swimming pool full of under 1 year olds, YANBU to think supermarket shoppers could do the same.

otherwise yes, YANBU.

but do leave room for understanding that some people have no idea or doesn't speak English etc.

If someone is disrespectful on purpose, that's a different issue.

It's choice, just like some people choose to be religious and some don't.

I do support armistice day but don't hold with having 2 lots of silence. I do agree with respecting the wishes of others. I don't agree with others getting all snarky about others who don't.

There's a big difference between those intending to disrupt, and those who simply choose to either observe in their own way or not at all. I'll be doing my silence on 11/11.

I don't think religion is a reasonable comparison. Anyone continuing to chatter in the supermarket was disrespectful of the prevailing activity in my view.

What I find hard is the fact there are soldiers in need living today and the government is spending 50 million net year on remembering the soldiers that died in the first ww. It sticks in my throat that the government didn't look after the families 99 year ago and still now they don't seem to get that the money would be better spend on the wounded and families left behind than on the dead - who don't need or want the money 100 year on.

Actually this is about two separate issues for me.

Firstly I don't expect anyone to have to pay their respects in an arbitary and prescribed way. What I do expect is that people have the modicum of decency to be aware that others may want to.

I don't think being quiet for two minutes is onerous whether you use that time to think about the fallen, the current serving soldiers, civilian casualties or what is on next week's meal plan.

For the record though, I don't go to a Remebrance Day service because I'm not religious and I don't feel comfortable.

11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month for the silence i thought?

Or is it on the closest Sunday? Or is it on both? I think this needs to be made official.

I imagine most people still carrying on banging round the supermarket (or where ever) when everyone else is silent, have just not heard the tannoy announcement (hearing problems? noisy kids with you? away with the fairies?) (the last one would be me!)

I was the one walking quietly through Waitrose yesterday, whispering to my terrified toddler, who unexpectedly freaked out when everyone, staff and customers, stood silent. The only other person who was in movement was another mortified mother of a toddler. Neither of us was making a noise, but we were moving towards the exit...

It was always one minute's silence when I was growing up - not 2 - when/why did that change? And only ever at 11am on 11/11.....

Thanks for all your views. I was aware that some people might not know what it was about, not being from the UK. I was also aware that people might not have realised. All I could hear were really quite loud, definitely English accents.
I had a 6 year old and a 4 year old with me. I heard the announcements and partly thought I should be respectful of the event itself and partly thought I should keep my kids quiet for other people.
This thread has made me think about something (ie the two/one min silence) in a way I haven't before, so thank you for broadening my viewpoint! My gut reaction was that people should have been quiet and I don't really know why that is.

If I had to pin a reason down to why I am quiet at the 2 mins silence is a) because everyone else does and b) although for religious and nationality reasons neither grandparents or families for that matter actually fought in the second world war at least, lots of people did to defend their country, which means that I have a very different life now as a British person to one I could have had.

There are lots of sides to this which are all interesting.

What i dont get is why if i am in a supermarket for example i cant carry on with my shopping? I dont make a noise picking up a few pieces and putting them into my basket. Why is everyone expected to stop?

nick

I think that's to do with the "stand to attention" (if that's the phrase).
same as for example standing up and still for the National Anthem.

I'm not exactly sure of the origin. that's what I remember (could be wrong)