Two minute silence (another supermarket rant!)

[tallulah]

Went to sainsburys yesterday- got delayed & realised on the way in that it was 10 to 11. Previous year the Silence was observed, so thought would be OK again.

11 am came & most of the people in our aisle stopped. Unfortunately there were an awful lot of people who didn't bother. Obviously choosing to mark the date is personal & if someone doesn't want to or is in a hurry then fair enough, but common courtesy dictates that if other people want to, you don't go charging between all the standing people, chattering your head off!!!

The worst offenders- almost without exception (sadly)- were women, with children in their trolleyseats. No-one expects children to be quiet but does mummy really need to keep up the inane drivel as she almost knocks over everyone else? (yeah, I know, perhaps these were children who start screaming if mummy stops talking....)

The staff behind the Deli unfortunately also decided to compete with the mad mummies & continued to shout their intellectual conversations to each other.

All in all made the Silence a complete farce. (and all the chattering people were wearing poppies.... do they actually know what they are for?)

did they not announce it over speaker - can't spell tannoy

Unfortunately same think happened to me last year, again in Sainsburys. I agree it is a personal choice as to whether you stand in silence but I too believe common decency means that people should keep quiet where possible. Last year there was an announcement given too.

Thanks Tallulah, you have reminded me just in time to observe it here in NZ at 11 O'Clock. Though as its just me and ds and he's asleep it's not exactly going to be a struggle for me. Last year I drove past the Retired Serviceman's Association at about 1 minute to 11 and there were the grand total of 3 people, one with the poppies, one with a flag and one with the bugle. Felt quite sad really and pulled up the car outside and sat there for the silence. Didn't really have time to get out and join them. Here we observe Anzac day really so I'm not surprised it was so poorly attended. On Anzac day shops shut until lunchtime and there is no TV advertising, and unlike Easter shop keepers do not choose to break the law.

I agree children cannot be expected to keep quiet but it cannot be that difficult for their mums to shut up for one minute!!

we were at Longleat Center Parcs and they put up signs everywhere and also announced the silence over the tannoy, asking everyone to assemble on the 'beach' in the pool area. And everyone did, even the children were amazingly quiet considering how many were there - it was quite moving actually to see everyone genuinely thinking about it.

I must admit I just forgot about the 2 minute silence at 11 am - that's not to say I don't respect the sacrifice by those made during the war.

But it's the 10th today!

Oh, sorry, tallulah, didn't read properly.

But they do a proper minute's silence on the 11th, don't they? Not on Remembrance Sunday?

wot?

Message withdrawn

As I missed doing a 2 minute silence on Sunday, I will make up for it at 11.00 am today...

used to woerk in a supermarket. u can always guarentee that whilst we were all being still and silent u gewt at least one person yelling at u to hurry up and serve them.

Thanks for the reminder.

Think I'll probably cry too.

Totally agree tallulah - where is the respect for others.

How about a 2 minute pause on Mumsnet today at 11am?

I turned BBC1 on and did it with the Queen. The old soldiers' faces always get to me - I wonder what they're remembering.

dinosaur, I think it's always been 11am - "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" - not sure though.

I thought it was 11.11 as well and then they set the canon off at the Town Hall opposite so I had a jolt of a reminder. Wonder what the sound of a canon does to the soldiers though? Often wondered that.

Message withdrawn

Glad I'm not out on a limb this time... !

I was going to write to Sainsburys, but I haven't had time & I think it's too late now.

Observed it again at 11 am this morning at work. (STILL had one silly woman wittering on, then another saying "OOh, hasn't it gone quiet" & going bright red when someone gestured to her why.)

tallulah, I used to work at Sainsburys and in my store the manager makes quite a big thing of it - notices to staff in the back and a tannoy announcement to customers just before 11. Our town fires a maroon at the start and end of the silence which also helps. But it is on the 11th - not on the Sunday. That might be why the observance at yours was so patchy - it was down to individuals, not the store.

It is at 11am as Janh says "eleventh day of the elevent hour of the eleventh year).

Would you believe that there was no silence at school today? It was lesson time so it would not have been difficult to stop lessons but no, no need to do it here apparantly. This is secondary too so no excuse there either. My last school always did. No idea why not - may raise it during my meetning tomorrow actually as I feel it is really bad. I actually wasn't teaching at the time, free lesson so marking on own in staff room so I was silent anyway.

CnR, I agree that all schools should observe the silence. It is important. At DS2's primary they all went into the hall, the Head started droning (sorry, she isn't good!) and then the maroon went off so she shut up and they had their silence. DS2 knows exactly what it's for. They sell poppies in school too.

DS1 was on a trip today so I don't know if his secondary school bothered or not.