Reasons to be Cheerful: Remembrance, Rosemary and Rockets

Triggered by three different events, ‘Remembrance’ has been on my mind this week…

Firstly, it is that time of year when we remember the sacrifice of those members of the armed forces who gave their lives in active service. I was in London last week on London Poppy Day, the flagship fundraising event for the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal. Military bands were at stations and other venues all over the city, helping to sell poppies and raise awareness of The Royal British Legion’s work. This one-day city charity collection, which sees volunteers collecting donations alongside over 1,000 currently serving personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, and over 2,000 veterans and supporters, was certainly attracting attention and engagement at Waterloo Station (by the way, Chappell Roan’s ‘Pink Pony Club’ played by a brass band is a real banger!) Providing lifelong support to serving and ex-serving personnel, starting after one day of service and continuing through life, the RBL does really great work. The annual prompt via the charity’s poppy appeal to ‘remember’ remains so important.

Funerals often prompt the theme of remembrance. Conducting a service at the Southdowns Sustainability Centre’s natural burial site recently, fresh rosemary played a part in the ceremony. ‘Rosemary for remembrance’ is a phrase that came about because the Ancient Greeks and Romans believed the herb’s scent aided memory – Greek students even used to wear it in their hair, close to the brain, as a study aid. Taking its name from Rosmarinus officinalis, from the Latin words ros (dew) and maris (from the sea), it is often associate with remembering a life too, bringing poignancy and comfort to a farewell. Standing in the woodland last week, with the love of friends and family at the heart of proceedings, the aroma of this fragrant herb was wonderfully soothing as we said goodbye to a much loved man.

Finally, Remember Remember the fifth of November. Or rather, please remember that for some people, and also for animals and wildlife, fireworks can be absolutely terrifying. With today marking the traditional date for detonating rockets in the name of entertainment, if you have chosen the quieter versions that are now available, thank you. And to anyone who finds the whole event miserable, I hope you manage to find a gentle distraction.  Finally, and above all, with over 1000 people a year treated by the NHS for firework-related injuries, please, please remember to be safe tonight. 

Dedicated to supporting the needs of serving personnel, veterans and their families, find out more about donating to the Royal British Legion, the UK's largest Armed Forces charity, at www.britishlegion.org.uk

Follow Vicky on Facebook & Instagram at @spotonceremonies www.spotonceremonies.co.uk