Went into town, all the veterans wearing their medals

[Blandmum]

It was so good to see. It really made me re-evaluate how we 'see' older people. Saw this little guy walking past, obviously in his late 70s, with about 12 medals on his coat.

And you think, bloody hell, what has this guy seen in his lif?, how dare I 'see' him as a little old guy, he is a little old hero.....and a bloody lucky one at that.

Really made me think about how I catagorise people

I know, it's amazing isn't it. I often wonder though whether we will 'forget' all about the WWs when this generation have moved on. I hope not.

I felt like that when I used to visit a nursing home. It was full of typical "little old ladies", the kind of person you overtake in the street or give up your seat for on the bus - it's easy to take people at face value.

Talking to them used to make my hair stand on end. Some of them had served as nurses in field hospitals, others had brought up large families on virtually nothing and were incredibly resourceful, brave women (and very witty, too). One in particular lived in London during WW2, she told me about how hundreds of people used to stream into the tube stations during the air raids in the Blitz and sleep there. The atmosphere must have been powerful, with the air raid sirens droning in the background. Another had lost her fiance in the war and never got over it, although she married and had children with someone else. She was at least 80 and still looked stricken when she talked about it.

I have mixed feelings about the tone of our remembrance tradition and the symbolism of the red poppy, but it doesn't mean I don't respect and appreciate what people in the forces and at home went through.

I remember talking to a woman on a plane once, she was in her 70s. I asked her had she been in the US visiting family friends and she told me that she had just done a lecture tour on weaving skills as she was an expert in the field. I was sutably chasened for my patronising assumptions and asked her had she allways been a weaver

'no' she said, 'I I used to be a physicist and helped to develop radar during the war'

We had a facinating trip across the altantic! I treasure the memory still.

it's humbling isn't it. we went to the hyde park event a few years ago. my dad was in awe of all the boys in medals and told me to take notice as i'd never see so many again . it was a great event lots of old soldiers meeting again.

I agree. I occasionally 'hang out' with lots of "little old nuns"

Then they say things like "Remember that prisoner of war camp?" or "Remember that leper colony in Guatemala?" and I think WTF have I do with MY life?

martianbishop was that old woman short and chubby with glasses? It sounds remarkably like my now-deceased aunt

Hard to tell how tall she was, as we were sitting down. This happened years and years ago, about 12 years....and she looked to be in her 70s then.....would that be the right time frame?

She was quite a fiesty lady, full of energy, posh english accent. She did wear glasses.

How amazing if it was the same lady!

She was quite remarkable, and I have never had a long flight pass so quickly (this was before I had kids)

it sounds remarkably like her

can't be that many posh english women who lecture in weaving and are eminent in the sciences (she was actually a biochemist, involved with Francis Crick though I believe)

She lived in Canada for some years you see, although learnt weaving in Demark years previously

Different amazing woman , I think. This one was resident in the UK, but had gone round the USA lecturing on weaving and spinning. She was on her way home when I met her

and she was deffo a physicist, because I was at the time a biochemist, and we'd have ended up on Biochem I'm sure.

They obviously 'bred' a high quality of women in those days!

yes definitely!